According to reports, the National Assembly is proposing legislation aimed at sanctioning states that don’t comply with the new minimum wage presented by the federal government.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), who spoke to newsmen on Friday, June 14, said the national assembly will ensure the law is seriously watertight.
Also, he said that either the state, sub-national, or organized private sector that does not comply, will be sanctioned.
“We are going to do a watertight bill that we are proposing that the President will sign to ensure that it is strictly adhered to as a law.
“Once it becomes law, we are going to make it watertight, and don’t let us just speculate what is going to be the ingredient that the federal government will be putting into the bill that will be brought by the executive to be submitted to the National Assembly.
“When it comes, whatever is there and whatever is not there, we are going to ensure that it’s going to be watertight; that it’s going to be obeyed by all. And from that, again, when we are talking about the minimum wage, is it about the federal government alone?
Fight Between FG & Labour?
“Because it seems that it is a fight between the federal government and labour.
“That’s the way everybody is looking at it.
So we keep mentioning the federal government, we keep mentioning President Tinubu and labour.
“But like I said, the National Assembly is going to seriously watertight this law so that either the state, sub-national, or organized private sector that does not comply is going to be sanctioned for it.
“When the executive bill comes and then we sit down in the chamber, when we are in the plenary, you know there are going to be opinions.
“And again, we are going to invite not only legislators to talk about it, the organized labour too will contribute to making the law.
Minimum Wage Very Acceptable?
“So when that time comes, then definitely, we will all decide what’s going to be the sanction, whoever is not complying with the law because we believe that at the end of the day, the committee that is meeting will arrive at a very acceptable minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
“We believe that government is there, the organized labour itself is there, and then the organised private sector is there.
“So definitely, whatever result they come out with, when we make law with that, can anybody now come and talk with a tongue in the cheek? We don’t expect that one.”
On how fast the National Assembly would pass the minimum wage bill if presented by President Tinubu, Senator Adaramodu said, “If it is possible within 30 minutes, we will do that. So it depends.”
Also Read: Minimum Wage: There Is Always Room For Adjustments – NLC
The senator also said the bill would go through the crucibles and receive speedy passage if the federal government and organized labour reached a consensus on the minimum wage figure.
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