Minimum Wage :Pay Up or Resign,Labour Replies Governors

The governors, under the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), had stated that adopting the proposed minimum wage would require allocating entire federal funds to salaries, leaving no resources for development projects. However, Organised Labour has countered that every segment of the new minimum wage agreement must be implemented, and any governor unable to pay should resign.

Deputy National President of the Trade Union Congress, Tommy Etim, stated, “If you cannot pay minimum wage, please resign. You were voted for governance, not just infrastructure.” He also pointed out the irony of governors claiming N30,000 was too much to pay while one governor emerged with over N80bn.

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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) also reacted, saying the governors’ statement was “in bad taste” and “acted in bad faith.” The NLC argued that FAAC allocations have increased from N700bn to N1.2tn, making governments “extremely rich at the expense of the people.” They urged governors to cut costs, minimize corruption, and prioritize workers’ welfare to pay a reasonable national minimum wage.

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The labour unions are giving President Buhari the benefit of the doubt to work out the negotiations, warning that the governors’ stance could lead to industrial unrest.