National Assembly to Enforce Strict Penalties for States Defying Federal Minimum Wage Law.

Legislation to penalize states that defy the federal government's new minimum wage is allegedly being proposed by the National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, June 14, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, stated that the national assembly would make sure the law is so tight that any state, subnational, or organised private sector that disobeys it will face consequences.

He uttered: “We are going to do a watertight Bill that we are proposing for the President to 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 about what is going to be the ingredient that the federal government would 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 minimum wage, is it about the federal government alone?

“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 make this law seriously watertight so that either the state, sub-national, or organised private sector that does not comply will face sanctions.

“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, but also organised labour to contribute to making the law.

“So when that time comes, we will all decide what the sanctions will be for those 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 the government is there, the organised labour itself is there, and the organised private sector is there. So definitely whatever result they come out with, when we make the law with that, can anybody now come and talk with a tongue in the cheek? We don’t expect that.”

Senator Adaramodu stated that if President Tinubu introduced the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly, it would be passed as soon as feasible. "If it is possible within 30 minutes, we will do that," he added. Thus, it varies.

The senator added that if organised labour and the federal government could agree on a minimum wage, the law would pass quickly and pass the crucibles.

He continued, “Definitely, there is going to be an agreement. So once there is an agreement, the bill will come and I don’t think any of the components of the negotiating bodies will oppose the agreed figure at the end of the day. So we don’t have any fear about that.

“You know when you are negotiating, you negotiate from various reasons, parameters and parallels. So at the end of the day, all the lines will converge and meet at a concentric point.

“If immediately after Sallah, the Bill is brought by Mr. President to the National Assembly, it’s going to be dealt with, with the speed of lightning. Yes, we are going to pass it because it is for the benefit of Nigerian workers.”