President Bola Tinubu has directed state governors to implement wage awards for workers and pensioners in their states.
Tinubu said they implement the wage awards pending the outcome of the ongoing talks on the new minimum wage.
Recalled that the Federal Government approved N35,000 and N25,000 wage awards for its workers and pensioners since September 2023.
Some states like Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos and few others later followed suit.
However, many states, across the sic geo-graphical zones have refused to implement the wage awards for their workers and pensioners.
The wage awards was introduced in the interim to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
Speaking in Minna, Niger State on Monday, Tinubu suggested that implementing the wage awards at the state level would offer crucial relief without exacerbating inflationary pressures.
The President while speaking in Minna at the flag-off of the agricultural mechanization revolution for food security and the commissioning of the remodeled domestic terminal of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, emphasized the importance of all states adopting the wage award.
He mentioned that the National Executive Council would also endorse it, underlining its significance for economic stability and social welfare.
Tinubu said : “If all of you, the sub-nationals have been paying the wages award, pending the determination of the new salary wage.
“Let all the states start paying the wages award. Whatever they are taking now plus the wage award would relieve the public.
“Please, I am not giving an order, I am appealing to you states, start paying the wages awards, let everyone start paying it.
“It is a relief to the people. The mechanism is the fact that it won’t be inflationary if we announce the new salary wage in a few weeks or months, they would have gotten used to the basic wages of N30,000 plus the wages award, and it will have a dampening effect on the market.
“Please get sub-nationals together and NEC should adopt this.”
(vitalnewsngr.com)
