Where Is Belgore’s Committee?

In August 2009, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was compelled by organised labour in the country to set-up a committee for a new policy on minimum wage which was headed by a retired Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Belgore. The decision by the federal government to set up the panel was sequel to the move by the House of Representatives to pass for the second reading, a bill for a new minimum wage of N30,000. This move by the House was in addition to the pressure from labour on the government to do likewise.

This might be one area where the House was touched by the lamentations of workers having sensed that the presidency appeared unperturbed about the agitation for a new minimum wage. Every Nigerian knows that an assignment such as the one given to the committee should have a time-frame to enable the federal government study the report, draft a bill and send to the National Assembly for passage into law and assent. Surprisingly, in this case, no time-frame was given, which was a demonstration of the government’s lack of interest in the whole agitation. But if the apathy by the federal government towards the committee it set up is pardonable, the silence of organised labour is astonishing.

It was marvelous to observe that the leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, the umbrella bodies for most labour unions in the country, who should have raised objection to the considered omission of time-frame for the committee, kept sealed lips.

The silence of leaders of the major two labour unions was eventually interpreted by many to mean that they might have been bribed to maintain a studied silence on the agitation for a new minimum wage for the oppressed workers of the country. On the side of the federal government, the ill-health and eventual trip abroad of President Yar’Adua was used as an excuse to delay the work of the committee. While the seeming orchestrated apathy was on, workers were expectant that the new minimum wage policy would be implemented by January this year.

But while the expectation of workers lingered, another abominable act was perpetrated by the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The Acting President, who was expected to request for the completion and submission of  Justice Belgore’s committee’s report, suddenly turned around and instituted a parallel committee on minimum wage with a three-month time – frame.

This is unacceptable. An administrative faux pas. It is a clear deception. Now, by April when the committee should submit its report, it might decide to act the Nigerian way by asking for an extension of about two months to enable them enjoy fat sitting and travelling allowances. When the report is eventually submitted say June or July it may take another two or three months for the federal government to study it. Then it will be sent to the National Assembly that will in turn take some time to deliberate on it. When it is passed eventually, its assent by the Acting President will take another time. Then it might be signed as 2011 not 2010 Minimum Wage Act.

The question one the lips of every worker and indeed Nigerians is, was the Acting President not aware of the existence of Justice Belgore’s committee? Why didn’t the then Minister of Labour and Productivity intimate the Acting President the existence of that committee? Was it a deliberate act to frustrate the workers and dim their hopes for better days ahead?

At this point, one expects that labour should raise objection. But alas it is not so.

This has further confirmed the speculation that both labour and the federal government have something up their sleeve on the issue. Or else how could one explain this scenario?

Whether the government likes it or not, the issue of new minimum wage must be addressed before the commencement of the deregulation of Petroleum industry and this is in tandem with good logic and realities of the day.

Arnold Alalibo