Amidst the challenges faced by Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the National Economic Council to provide recommendations on palliative measures and a review of the minimum wage. These steps aim to alleviate the impact of subsidy removal and ease the burden on citizens.
In response, the Trade Union Congress expressed its anticipation for the Federal Government’s response to their request for a minimum wage of N200,000 by June 19.
However, during a meeting with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Abuja on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu instructed the National Economic Council (NEC), under the leadership of Vice President Kashim Shettima, to coordinate and implement a range of interventions aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the most vulnerable Nigerians.
The NEC, which consists of 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other co-opted government officials, will play a pivotal role in devising strategies and measures to cushion the hardship experienced by those in need.
The president described the level of impoverishment in the country as “unacceptable,” urging state governors to collaborate with the federal government to tackle poverty nationwide.
He advised the political leaders to downplay their differences and jointly focus on alleviating the sufferings and pains of the people, as a statement signed by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, noted.
Tinubu laments poverty
Speaking on the timeframe handed down to the Federal Government on its proposed minimum wage, the Trade Union Congress said it was expecting the government to come up with a proposal by June 19.
The Secretary General of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, who spoke with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, noted, ‘’The new minimum wage of N200,000, which we proposed, is part of the demands we gave to the government as regards the removal of the subsidy, and we were the ones who gave them a time frame. The time frame we gave them was the 19th of this month. We believe that they should be able to come to us with something substantial by then.’’
Meanwhile, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, which met with the President at the State House, has promised to provide 100 units of CNG/diesel-powered, 50-seater buses to ease mobility amongst the most vulnerable citizens.
Speaking on the group’s behalf, the Managing Director of North-West Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, Mrs. Winifred Akpani, revealed that the new locally-manufactured buses cost N100 million each.
Akpani said “So we came today to express our support and to see how we can cooperate with the government because ultimately, you can’t kill the people you’re trying to save. There are aches and pains. What can we all do?
“We have collectively agreed that we’re going to work at providing real mass transit buses that work, the ones that run on compressed natural gas and diesel interchangeably, and hopefully we’re going to start with about 50 to 100. And that is in the very, very short term.
“These are locally produced, so you see that we’re also providing jobs; a lot more jobs because we’re using local assembly plants, we are not importing this. That puts less pressure on our foreign exchange, and that means more jobs for Nigerians. And Mr. President was very happy with that.”
She explained that the 50-seater buses are to be procured at a “cost of about N100 million each. So we are donating 100 buses; that’s N10 billion just from the marketers.”
Furthermore, Akpani disclosed that this initiative aims to dispel the notion that marketers are resistant to deregulation.
Meanwhile, in Ogun State, the government has commenced a comprehensive review of the minimum wage for its employees in light of the fuel subsidy removal.
A high-ranking official of the state government, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared this information with our correspondent in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
The official stated that the state government has initiated the necessary steps to develop a new minimum wage package, intending to alleviate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on workers.
He said, “The government is coming up with something on the minimum wage. I don’t know the exact figure, but I am aware of the steps.”
Also, the Kwara State Government has said that it would ensure that the welfare of workers in the state was top on its priority list.
