Senate has assured Nigerians that the National Minimum Wage Bill will receive the expeditious attention it deserves as soon as the National Assembly receives it from the executive.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, gave this assurance in an interview in Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, the National Assembly, especially the Senate is on the same page with President Tinubu when it comes to ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerians.
In response to a question as to whether the bill will receive the kind of prompt attention that the National Anthem Bill received, Adaramodu said, “Yes. If immediately after Sallah, the Bill is brought by Mr President to the National Assembly, it is going to be dealt with, with the speed of lightning. Yes, we are going to pass it because it is for the benefit of workers.”
Asked whether it would be in 48 or 24 hours? He responded by saying, “Even if it is possible within 30 minutes, we will do that.
“So, it depends on the content of the Bill because it will go through the crucibles. We are not going to sit down and just say that the Bill has been passed.
“Within the time, if there are no oppositions from outside or within, there can never be opposition from within because it is going to be a kind of agreement between Labour, government and the organised private sector.
“Once that one is there and then it comes to us, definitely we will go through the processes without delay and make sure that workers get their deal.”
On the issue of disparity between the N62,000 being offered by the federal government and what sub-nationals and the organised private sector are proposing, the Senate spokesman said, “Since they are all meeting, we know that at the end of the day, all of them will agree on a figure because when it is an executive bill, it means that state and federal executives and even local government executives are involved.
“So, definitely there is going to be an agreement. Once there is an agreement, the bill will come and I don’t think any of the components of the negotiating bodies will oppose the agreed figure at the end of the day. So, we don’t have any fear about that.”
He also hinted that sanctions are likely to be meted out for non-compliance with the bill once it becomes an Act.
Adaramodu said, “We are going to do a watertight bill. We are proposing that the president will sign it to ensure that it is strictly adhered to.
“Once it becomes law, we are going to make it watertight. Don’t let us speculate on the ingredients that the federal government will put into the bill.
“But when it comes, whatever is there or not there, we are going to ensure that it is going to be watertight, that it will be obeyed by all.”
He explained that the issue of minimum wage should not be looked at as one involving only the federal government because every employer of labour from the public to the private sector is involved.
The federal lawmaker urged Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to look beyond the federal level in its agitation for better conditions of work.
He said, “We don’t even talk about the sub-nationals. And then it behooves on NLC, which recognises workers in the organised private sector and sub-nationals to advocate for them.
“The issue of some states still paying N18,000, though I don’t know; because I don’t expect that one to be happening.
“So, if there are some states paying that, what has labour done to ensure compliance on the N30,000 minimum wage? We need to ask them questions too.
“But like I said, the National Assembly is going to take this law seriously. If any state or organised private sector does not not comply, there is going to be sanctions for it.
“So that is the way it is going to be done this time around. But labour needs to protect the welfare of its members, not only those with the federal government.”
