The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, attended a crucial meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday. This meeting is part of ongoing discussions between labour leaders and the President regarding the national minimum wage.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced on Monday that the President would meet with the labour leaders to finalize decisions that would then be presented to Nigerians and sent to the National Assembly. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has been tasked with drafting a proposal for an amendment to the 2024 Appropriation Act to be submitted to the National Assembly.
Last Thursday, the President met with labour leaders and urged realistic expectations concerning the minimum wage. “You have to cut your coat according to available cloth. Before we can finalize the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure,” Tinubu stated.
The President is expected to decide on the proposed ₦62,000 minimum wage from the government and private sector side and the ₦250,000 demand from Organized Labour. The current minimum wage is ₦30,000.
This meeting follows the President’s June 12, 2024, Democracy Day speech, where he announced that an executive bill on a new national minimum wage would soon be sent to the National Assembly. On June 25, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by the President, deferred deliberation on the new minimum wage memo to allow more stakeholder engagement. Two days later, Tinubu and Vice President Kassim Shettima discussed the minimum wage with the governors of the 36 states and ministers during the 141st National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.
In another significant development, Justice Chukujekwu Aneke issued a final forfeiture order on Wednesday for five properties linked to fraudulent activities. The order came following a motion by A.O. Mohammed, the lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had presented evidence to the court showing that the properties were fraudulently misappropriated, with proceeds diverted for personal use. In seeking the final forfeiture, Mohammed stated that the Commission had complied with the court’s directive to publish the order, and argued that granting the prayers sought would serve the interest of justice.
Justice Aneke, after reviewing the submissions, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government. The properties in question are No.8b Bedwell Road, Ikoyi; No.3 Force Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; No.14 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; No.6 Marina, Ikoyi, Lagos; and No. 28 Point Road, Apapa, Lagos.
Previously, on March 4, 2024, the judge had issued an interim forfeiture order for these properties, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, and mandated their publication in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
