Minimum wage: I’ll approve what Nigeria can afford

President Bola Tinubu says he will approve a new minimum wage that the Nigerian government can afford.

He stated this on Wednesday at a dinner with the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, among other top government officials to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken Democracy in Abuja.

The President, while appreciating those who stood by him over the years, promised Nigerians he won’t depart from the tenets of democratic governance.

“I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President,” he said.

According to Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau would soon get an Executive Bill from him on the new minimum wage.

“The minimum wage is going to be what Nigerians can afford, what you can afford and what I can afford. Cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all,” he said.

Continuing, President Tinubu also promised to tackle the menace of banditry that has forced many farmers away from their farms, in a bid to bring down the prices of food.

Recall that Tribune Online reports that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) while reacting to President Tinubu’s promise, in his Democracy Day broadcast on Wednesday that a bill for a new minimum wage would be sent to the National Assembly soon, stated that their demand remains N250,000.

Tribune Online earlier reported that following the submission of cost implications of a new minimum wage by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, two figures of N62,000 and N250,000 were submitted to President Tinubu from the sides of the government and Organised Private Sector; and that of the Labour unions respectively. This was a result of the failure of the Tripartite committee to reach an agreement on a new minimum wage.

Both sides submitted their reports to President Tinubu who is expected to make a decision and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to pass a new minimum wage bill to be signed into law by the President.

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