President excited by states’ compliance with minimum wage payment, says Akume

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is satisfied with the level of compliance with the new N70,000 minimum wage by states, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume said yesterday.

Since the President signed the new minimum wage Bill in July, not less than 20 states have either started payment or will commence payment from this week while Lagos, Ogun and Gombe have fixed N85,000, N77,000, and N71,451 as the new minimum wages.

However, 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are yet to finalise plans for payment.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reaffirmed its support for the president in his bid to defend the welfare of Nigerians through the implementation of people-oriented policies and programmes.

Akume, who spoke with reporters in Abuja,

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Akume said the governors who fixed the minimum wage higher than N70,000 in their states should be commended.

He said: “The issue of the new minimum wage has always been central to the thinking of the government of President Bola Tinubu, and that was why he quickly put in place a tripartite arrangement to look at all the issues, and this was properly carried out.

“The governors were represented. The Federal Government was represented. The organised private sector was also part of it. So, we arrived at the new minimum wage.”

He added: “We are very satisfied with it. Ad some state governments have started implementing, others have even gone beyond 70. So, I believe that there’s no problem with that whatsoever.

“To be clear, the Federal Government is completely committed to this initiative. Today, we are fully on board. There are absolutely no half measures about this at all. It is full commitment.”