Tinubu begs govs to pay wage award till new minimum wage comes into effect

President Bola Tinubu on Monday, called on the 36 governors in Nigeria to begin the payment of wage awards to workers in their various states pending when a new minimum wage would come into effect.

The President who made the appeal during a working visit to Minna, the Niger State capital, where he commissioned newly completed projects including the Minna airport which was renamed after him, said paying workers the wage awards would alleviate the hardship currently being faced in the country.

Governors present at the event were AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, who is the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

While addressing them, the President urged all sub-national governments to emulate the federal government in taking steps that would mitigate the current hardship.

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In a statement issued on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu urged the governors to implement wage awards in their states to complement the efforts of the federal government in easing the burden of citizens, pending when the minimum wage is increased.

“We have seen the level of commitment here. We have seen leadership. The success of any leader will depend on the ability to do what needs to be done when it ought to be done,” the statement said.

“It is now time for us to address the challenges and make Nigeria an economy of opportunities. We must care for our people; re-orient our people. I do not see why Nigeria cannot feed all students in its schools.

“Let all the sub-nationals start paying wage awards, pending when the minimum wage is increased. I am not giving an order; I am only appealing. NEC should adopt this.

“I am equally here to partner with you to banish hunger. You are doing the job. And it is necessary for me to support you; it is mandatory as Nigerians.

“When you read newspapers, some of us are confused about whether to abuse the past or the present or to make excuses for the future. But that is not in my dictionary. I think action now, re-engineer the finances of our country and steer it on the right path.

“I have been paying wage award pending the determination of the new minimum wage.

“The student loan programme will commence. There will be unemployment benefits for our graduates. The social security benefits for the elderly and the vulnerable will commence.

“The social security benefits for the elderly and the vulnerable will commence. We are fine-tuning all of that area. We need to relieve our people of hunger.”

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