Enugu governor inaugurates new minimum wage committee

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has inaugurated a committee to implement the new national minimum wage for civil and public servants in the state.

Mr Mbah inaugurated the committee at the Government House, Enugu on Thursday, according to a statement by the governor’s media team.

The state’s Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu, will serve as the chairperson of the committee, a representative of the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Sandra George is the secretary.

The State Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Chika Ugwuoke, the Accountant-General of the state, Anthony Okenwa, and the Commissioner of Finance & Economic Development, Nathaniel Uramah are members of the committee.

Other members of the committee include, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Enugu State Chapter, Fabian Nwigbo, his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Benedict Asogwa, the Chairperson, Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Ezekiel Omeh and the Chairperson of the state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Udaya Ani.

‘Ambitious target’

Mr Mbah, during the inauguration, reiterated his commitment to workers’ welfare and urged the committee to consult widely with relevant persons especially in the ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that the workers take ownership of the eventual report.

“We have set very ambitious targets for ourselves, and we know that the only thing between us and achieving these targets will be the human resources because as great as our visions and dreams might be, it would be impossible to achieve anything if we do not have a motivated workforce.

“We recognised it from the very onset, which is why before the discussions on the new minimum wage came up, we introduced the wage awards, and made a commitment that we would not cease until we migrate to the new minimum wage,” he said.

“That is why the constitution of this Committee for the implementation of the new national minimum wage is a very important exercise, and we have carefully selected members of this committee. We believe that you will be able to discharge yourself creditably.”

Terms of reference

The governor urged the committee to endeavour to submit their report on the salary chart for all workers in the state within one month.

“We expect, as terms of reference, you should be able to come up with a comprehensive review of the salary chart of all categories and cadres of workers of both the state and the local government levels, the unified local government system, using the existing state salary chart as a guide.

“Finally, we will expect to have a detailed report submitted within a month. We want to get on with implementing the new national minimum wage as quickly as possible,” he stated.

Committee members speak

Responding, the Chairperson of the committee and the State’s Head of Service, Mr Ugwu, assured the governor that the committee would meet his expectations both in terms of time frame and quality of work.

“We are aware of your commitment to the welfare and motivation of the great workers of Enugu State. All our recommendations are going to be aligned with your vision for a highly motivated and productive public service.

“We are not only going to meet your expectations, but we are also going to surpass it. One-month period is given to us, but I assure you that we are going to submit our recommendations in record time,” the chairperson assured.

Speaking to reporters, the Chairperson of the TUC, Mr Asogwa, said Mr Mbah’s prompt action on new minimum wage did not come to Enugu workers as a surprise given that he had been paying wage awards to workers since 2023.

“So, setting up this Committee did not come to us as a surprise because we know the kind of person we have as a governor. He is not playing. The governor understands what it means to enter into a social contract with his people.

“We have confidence in him. We feel happy that in no distant time, our financial situation as Enugu workers will be improved in Enugu State,” he said.

Background

The Organised Labour had demanded a minimum wage of N615,000, citing economic challenges and the rising cost of living.

The previous minimum wage was N30,000 which was earlier approved in 2018.

The labour leaders later reduced the demand to N250,000 in response to negotiations between them and the Nigerian government.

Following consultations with the organised labour and state governors, President Bola Tinubu approved N70,000 as new minimum wage.

In July, Mr Tinubu signed the new minimum wage bill into law, which provides that the federal and state governments as well as private sectors, will pay the new minimum wage.