The Presidency has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu regarding the transmission of the proposed minimum wage bill to the National Assembly. This appeal was made by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a conversation with The PUNCH on Monday.
Onanuga's request for patience comes shortly after the Organised Labour urged President Tinubu to consult with its leadership before sending the bill to the National Assembly. The delay in transmitting the wage bill has postponed the National Executive Committee meeting of the workers' union, which would involve about 300 Labour leaders. The last joint meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) took place on June 4, during which they decided to suspend their strike pending further negotiations.
Despite President Tinubu's announcement during his Democracy Day speech that a consensus had been reached with Labour on the new wage, the NLC and TUC have disputed this claim. As a result, there has been growing anxiety among Nigerians and Labour leaders about the Federal Government's next steps.
Onanuga questioned the urgency of transmitting the bill and, while admitting he did not know the specific submission date, called for more time. His appeal for patience follows his earlier statement that the N250,000 wage demand by the workers' union is unsustainable, emphasizing that the Federal Government cannot allocate all its resources to meet such demands.
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