Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, The Deputy Senate President, on Thursday, clarified that President Muhammadu Buhari did not specify a separate minimum wage for federal workers in the new bill he forwarded to the federal parliament on Wednesday evening.
Ekweremadu said Buhari did not include a separate amount payable by the Federal Government to its workers. The labour and the government had agreed after series of dialogues, signed a pact approving N30, 000 as minimum wage payable to the federal workers while states and private sector workers are expected to receive N27, 000.
But Ekweremadu urged the members of the newly inaugurated senate panel to look into the issue as well as the exemption of workers in smaller establishments with less than 25 staff. He also challenged members of the ad-hoc committee to critically look into the concerns of some state governments about their capability to pay the N27, 000 minimum wage.
Deputy Senate President subsequently named the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, as the chairman of an eight-member ad-hoc committee mandated to work on the bill and make their report available within two weeks.
Other members of the panel are, Senator Abu Ibrahim, who will represent the Senate committee on labour; Senator Shehu Sani, representing the North-West and Senator Sam Egwu, representing the South-East. The rest are, Senators Suleiman Adokwe (North-Central); Francis Alimikhena (South-South); Solomon Adeola (South-West); and Binta Garba.
