From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has explained why he had to intervene in the minimum wage negotiations with organised labour, saying it was because he knows the economic challenges faced by many Nigerians, and the need to provide urgent succour.
In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President in a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and that of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, said the meeting carried on for this long because, he needed to pay attention to warnings; slippery, wet, curved roads, and be careful not to have an accident, while negotiating the minimum wage which has been pegged on N70,000.
On why he had to intervene in the negotiations, the president said: “I have heard all your presentations. You came here with the intention to get something on behalf of your members. It has been tough globally. And if you review my track record, I have never been found wanting in ameliorating the problems of workers. I belong to the people and to all of you in leadership. Without you, this job is not interesting.
“You challenged the thinking faculty of leadership, and we have reviewed the position. I have consulted widely, and when the tripartite committee submitted their reports, I reviewed them again and started to think and rethink.
“Last week, I brought the workload to you because we have a timeline. We have a problem, and we recognize that you have a problem too. We are in the same economy. We are in the same country. We may have different rooms, different addresses, and different houses; we are just members of one family that must care for each other.
“We must look at the parameters of things. Here, I have a speed limit, and I must pay attention to traffic warnings; slippery when wet, curved roads, and be careful not to have an accident. That is why I went as far as having this meeting today.
“We are driving this economy together. Let us look at the tenure of review. Let us agree on that, and affirm three years. Two years is too short. We affirm three years. We will review.
“I am going to move from the tripartite committee. I am going to edge a little bit forward, looking at the review that we have done. Yes, no one in the federal establishment should earn less than N70,000. So, we are going to benchmark at N70,000,” he said.
President Tinubu explained that renewing the hope of Nigerians extends to providing infrastructure that will improve their livelihoods and create an inclusive economy that all can participate and benefit.
He added that the government was committed to reducing the cost of transportation with the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses, which will be cheaper and efficient, and also assured the labour unions of providing buses that will be deployed across the country.
The President also said the entitlements of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) will be considered, urging the Ministries of Finance, and Budget and Economic Planning to look at the possibilities of clearing the backlog.
At the meeting, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, thanked the President for his consideration of issues as the “Father of the Nation’’ and scheduling two meetings to resolve the initial impasse.
“Mr. President, at the tripartite meeting, and the resolutions of the government, Organized Private Sector and labour unions; we were all united as one family to promote and grow our economy, and deepen our democracy, by implication to the benefit of all. Basically, that is what we are saying today. We have a listening President here,’’ the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and that of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, thanked the President for creating time to host two meetings on the review of the national minimum wage.
The two labour leaders acknowledged that at the last meeting, the President directed the rescheduling of an official trip in order to attend the second meeting.
The labour leaders also expressed their appreciation to the President, applauding him for his clear show of commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers.