Why I Signed Minimum Wage Bill Secretly – Jonathan

Posted by admin Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), Latest Politics, Presidency Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Challenges Buhari, others to debate

• ‘Workers can now sue for breach’

• NLC demands for signed copy

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he secretly signed the N18, 000 Minimum Wage Bill into law to avoid unnecessary pressure on the state government and other affected relevant agencies.In the last few days, there has been controversy over whether the president has signed the bill into law or not. The president however, told labour leaders yesterday that he actually signed the bill. He failed to explain why the bill was signed secretly.

In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP last night, the president’s spokesman, Mr. Ima Niboro, said, “We didn’t want to make a noise about it because it affects the entire nation. Any organisation, whether private or public, that employs more than 50 persons will be compelled to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage; and everybody – all the relevant agencies, would have to be prepared.”

Meanwhile, both the deputy national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Promise Adewusi, and the president-general of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, told LEADERSHIP last night that labour had demanded for the signed copy of the Act. They said that the minister of labour and productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, had promised to make it available to them within four days.

Responding to the issue, an expert in labour law, Barrister Bamidele Aturu, told LEADERSHIP that now that President Jonathan had confirmed signing the bill it would be an offence for government at all levels and agencies not to pay the new minimum wage. According to him, “It will be a breach of public duties for any government or agency not to pay the new minimum wage. Individuals can now go to court and challenge the breach of public duties and claim damages.”

On the recommendation of President Jonathan, the National Council of State had endorsed the implementation of the N18, 000 national minimum wage. The NCS consequently asked the president to immediately send a bill to the National Assembly to give legal backing to it. The council, which is the highest advisory body in the country, took the decision at a meeting in Abuja chaired by Jonathan.

Former Nigerian leaders at the meeting were Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) and Chief Ernest Shonekan.

State governors, who are members of the council, were also in attendance at the meeting.

The endorsement of the minimum wage was not without reservations as some governors had raised serious concerns over their ability to pay. As a result, the council suggested a “deregulated minimum wage” system that would allow the states to pay different wages to their workers. The NCS, however, noted that relevant sections of the constitution had to be amended to give legal teeth to a deregulated minimum wage system in the country, in line with the principle of federalism. The Senate and the House of Representatives later passed the amendment to the National Minimum Wage Bill to endorse the N18,000 minimum wage.

The legislators also gave a hint that an amendment to the Constitution was likely to delete the issue of wage from the exclusive legislative list and transfer it to the concurrent list. The amendment to Section 1 of the National Minimum Wage reads: “As from the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of every employer (except as provided for under the principal Act as amended) to pay a wage not less than the national minimum wage of N18,000 per month to every worker under his establishment.”

The national minimum wage was last increased in 2004 from N5,000 to N7,500 monthly. While presenting the bill for a third reading, the leader of the Senate, Teslim Folarin, had noted that it was read for the first time on February 9, 2011. He said the revision of the Act also brought in a realistic penalty regime for violations of its provisions. He recommended the alteration of the Constitution to ensure the delisting of the minimum wage clause from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. He said this would give both the federal and state governments the free hand to negotiate wage increments separately with their workers, to further strengthen the nation’s fiscal federalism.

Meanwhile, Jonathan yesterday challenged General Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Ibrahim Shekarau and the presidential candidates of other political parties to review their decision to boycott the presidential debate scheduled for today.

In a statement by his spokesman, the president said he would honour the invitation by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) to participate in the presidential debate in keeping with his declared commitment. “President Jonathan looks forward to availing himself of the fresh opportunity of the debate to further present his strong case for re-election to the widest possible audience of Nigerians on radio and television,” Niboro stated. “While the president hopes that the other invited presidential candidates will review their announced decision not to participate in the debate and deny millions of Nigerians of a great opportunity to critically assess their contending platforms and policy options, his attendance is not contingent on their doing so.”

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