Labour’s demand for new national minimum wage justified – PDP governors

Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have backed the agitation by the organized Labour for a new national minimum wage, describing it as justified.

While noting that the negotiations have gone on for too long, they however counseled that whatever is arrived at must take into consideration the ability of governments to pay.

This is part of the resolutions reached at the meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum which took place in Enugu on Wednesday.

In a communique read by the chairman of the forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, the  governors maintained: “The minimum wage negotiations are becoming unduly protracted. In the face of the attendant unprecedented hardship and impoverishment of majority of our people, the Forum resolves as follows:

“That Labour’s demand for a substantial salary raise is eminently justified and therefore commands the total support of the Forum

“While the Forum fully supports Labour’s demand, agreement must take into consideration the ability to pay by the local government, sub-national and federal government.

“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint in both utterances and actions that could lead to the complete breakdown of law and order and ultimately, the collapse of the economy.”

The communique disclosed that the main opposition party governors at the meeting deliberated on a wide range of issues that border on “critical national interest, the state of our party particularly the forthcoming congress, the unprecedented hardship faced by majority of Nigerians as a result of the dismal performance of the APC-led Federal Government, the minimum wage negotiations, and the recurring issue of inter-governmental relations with special reference to local government autonomy and funding.”

The forum noted with dismay and grave concern what it observed as the mismanagement of the economy by the APC-led federal government.

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The communique stated: “The Forum regrets that the 16 years of tremendous development under the PDP-led Federal Government, during which the country witnessed single digit inflation, the establishment of the existing anti-corruption institutions and higher standard of living for every Nigerian has been eroded during the life span of the lacklustre APC-led federal government.

“The forum identifies with the Nigerian populace in these troubling times and promises to bring back those good old days, of low inflation rate, affordable food, fuel and transportation, steady FDI inflows resulting in high naira value and the greater quality of human life as recorded.

“In that regard, the meeting commended the Governors of PDP-controlled states for their innovative approaches to governance in many fields especially infrastructure, education, health, women and youth initiatives and the timely delivery of developmental projects, across the country.”

On the recent Supreme Court’s decision granting fiscal autonomy to local governments, the governors expressed their belief in the efficacy of the local government system which ensures that governance is brought closer to the people as provided for in the constitution.

They noted that they will continue to support the autonomy of the local governments as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The forum affirmed that it holds the Supreme Court in the highest esteem, and is committed to obedience to court orders.

However, it urged that implementation of the court decision must be done in a manner that does not create a trust deficit between the federal governments and sub-national governments while also ensuring that the system does not suffer.

On the crisis in Rivers State, the governors threw their weights behind Governor Siminalayi Fubara but indicated that it they will embark on wider consultations to seek solutions to the imbroglio.

“The forum notes the crises in the Rivers State Chapter of the party and commits to ensuring peace. The Forum has resolved to stand by His Excellency, Sir Sim Fubara, Governor of Rivers State; while at the same time employ wider consultations with stakeholders for a peaceful resolution and thus find a lasting solution to the crises,” the communique stated.

On the off season elections in Edo and Ondo, the forum admonished all the parties to the elections to ensure that campaigns are issues-based, violence-free and in strict compliance with the provisions of the electoral act.

It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and unimpeachable elections as any act of bias will be totally resisted.

It also tasked President Bola Tinubu to show leadership as a true democrat by refraining from making any statement suggestive of political interference in the entire process.

The governors also addressed the issue of the upcoming PDP party congresses saying that “in the spirit of the founding fathers of our great party who adopted internal democracy as the fundamental principle on which our party was built, the congresses leading to the election of party leaders, at the various tiers, must be all-inclusive, transparent, fair and in strict compliance with the constitution of the party.”

The meeting hosted by Governor Peter Mbah was attended by all 13 governors of the main opposition party.