Minimum wage: Shettima presides over NEC meeting at Villa

Vice President Kashim Shettima is presiding over the 142nd National Economic Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.

Some members of President Bola Tinubu’s economic team are also attending the meeting.

On Wednesday, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said Tinubu will discuss the new national minimum wage with state governors at the meeting.

Gbajabiamila disclosed this when he spoke in Kano while leading a high-powered delegation to commiserate with Shettima over the demise of his mother-in-law.

“He (Tinubu) is indeed saddened and he wished he was here with you. You know our President is very ubiquitous, he can be in a million places at the same time, but unfortunately, this bill, as you well know, calls for him to be at the seat of power.

“Indeed, he will be joining you tomorrow and that’s how important his presence in Abuja is right now. He will be joining you tomorrow at the NEC meeting, which he ever hardly attends, this might even be his first meeting,” Gbajabiamila said.

The meeting comes days after the Federal Executive Council, on Tuesday, stepped down the report of the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage down, citing the need for President Tinubu to further consult with other stakeholders on the matter.

They comprise state governors, local government authorities and the private sector.

NEC, a statutory body mandated to advise the President on the nation’s economic affairs, comprises the Vice President, Governors of the 36 states of the federation, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Finance, and other stakeholders.

Among those present Governors Usman Ododo (Kogi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Lawal Dauda (Zamfara), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Seyi Makinde, (Oyo), Lucky Ayedatiwa, (Ondo).

Other Governors sighted at the Council Chambers, the venue of the meeting, are Abdullahi Sule, (Nassarawa), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Caleb Mutfwang, (Plateau), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Biodun Oyebanji, (Ekiti), Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya, (Gombe), Peter Mbah, (Enugu), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Dapo Abiodun, (Ogun), Umar Radda, (Katsina), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Umar Namadi, (Jigawa) and Umar Bago, (Niger).

Lagos, Rivers, Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are represented by their deputy governors.