FG, Others Meet On Minimum Wage

The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, presided over the Economic Management Team (EMT) meeting, specially dedicated to discuss issue of minimum wage and how to raise the money.
The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa, Vice President’s Conference Hall had those directly involved in the economy and revenue generation in attendance.
They included the acting Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu.
Others are Executive Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Richard Egbule; Director General, Budget Office, Ben Akabueze; and Comptroller General (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali.
Ngige, had last week told State House correspondents that he and the Chairman of the negotiation committee and a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ms Amma Pepple, had briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the progress so far made by the committee and that the Special EMT meeting was to focus on minimum wage.
Pepple had hinted that the committee would submit its report before the month end, adding however, that they need a definite figure from both the federal and state governments to conclude its report.
Ngige had recently accused the organised labour of blackmailing the government following a two-week ultimatum given by the latter for the conclusion of negotiation on the matter.
According to him, the labour leaders were unnecessarily blackmailing and intimidating government to pay a new minimum wage that it may end up reneging on.
Ngige blamed certain factors such as inability of governors to provide their figures to be debated by the committee negotiating the new minimum wage as one of the reasons for the delay, just as he assured that government was still within the timeframe it promised to deliver on a new minimum wage and was not stalling the process as alleged by labour.