Chris Onyeka, the Assistant General-Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stated that many state governors are disregarding the Minimum Wage Act because they do not respect the law’s authority.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja, Onyeka discussed the challenges surrounding the minimum wage law and its enforcement.
He noted that while workers are eagerly waiting for a new minimum wage law, 15 states have yet to implement the N30,000 wage established in 2019.
Despite increased revenue following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the resulting hardships from the higher pump prices, these states still refuse to pay the minimum wage. The states not complying with the 2019 Act include Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba, and Zamfara.
Onyeka pointed out, “A state governor who does not believe in the sanctity of the laws will have a high proclivity to disobeying them. If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws. Is it now that they will obey the national minimum wage act?”
He added that many governors are reluctant to pay civil servants their salaries because they view state resources as their own and are unwilling to share them with the workers who generate the wealth.
Onyeka also highlighted the issue of fiscal mismanagement in many states, attributing it to the personal greed of some governors who divert state resources for private use.
He emphasized the need to reduce the cost of governance and eliminate wasteful spending. Suggested measures include reducing the number of political appointees, cutting down on logistics, official, and operational vehicles, and aligning the salaries and allowances of elected and appointed officials with those of civil servants.
Finally, Onyeka called for streamlined procurement processes to ensure integrity, accountability, fiscal discipline, and transparency at all levels of government.