The meeting between the Economic Management Team and State Governors over the new National Minimum Wage on Monday was deadlocked.
The meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, could not reach a decision on how much workers should earn as the new minimum wage.
The meeting was attended among others by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu; Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong; and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
Others were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma; Head of Service to the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita; Director-General, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule; and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
The Federal Government had offered N24,000 s new minimum wage, while Labour wants N30,000.
Yari told newsmen after the meeting: “The position of the governors is not very clear to some of you.
“We are willing to pay any amount but the issue is the capacity to pay.
“The governors still haven’t come out with any figure.
“So by tomorrow, we are going to discuss with our governors on the bill by the Minister of Labour and Employment to the NGF Secretariat.
“We will digest it and come up with our own positions as governors because we are critical stakeholders on this issue.”
Ngige said: “We held a meeting for us to bring out modalities for us to respond to the emerging problems thrown up by the National Minimum Wage Committee and we have a very fruitful meeting, which necessitated governors having a further meeting tomorrow.
“We will reconvene tomorrow to brief the Economic Management Team and the Vice President and we take it up from there.
“The governors will meet to take a position and brief the Economic Management Team.
“This meeting is only for the Tripartite Committee of the government side.”
