The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has warned that it will take serious action against states that do not implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000.
Shehu Muhammed, who was elected as the new president of ASCSN during its 5th Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Lagos, issued the warning.
He said, “For states not ready to implement the new minimum wage, let me tell you categorically, it is impossible. We are coming for them.”
Muhammed urged state governments to implement the new wage to improve the standard of living for their citizens. He noted that state governments’ incomes have increased due to higher allocations from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). He advised states to reduce wastages and block leaks in government funds. “States should embrace the policy of indexing income to correspond with the rate of inflation,” he said.
The new ASCSN president also stressed the importance of addressing the new minimum wage issue by setting up a committee. He said, “The most important priority now is to address the issue of the new minimum wage by constituting a committee to address the consequential adjustments towards implementation and the strategies to ensure workers have a living wage in Nigeria.”
The Secretary General of ASCSN, Joshua Apebo, added, “We request that state governments implement the new national minimum wage to enhance the standard of living for their citizens. This can be achieved by reducing wastages and blocking leakages of government funds. We also advise the government to adopt the policy of indexing income to match inflation rates, as recommended years ago by the Chief Ernest Shonekan committee.”
President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Festus Osifo, sent a solidarity message and promised support for the new ASCSN executives to protect workers’ interests.
