NLC threatens showdown with Gombe govt over N70,000 minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has issued a stern warning following Governor Muhammad Yahaya’s declaration that Gombe State cannot afford the newly mandated N70,000 minimum wage.

President Bola Tinubu recently signed the new minimum wage bill into law, making the payment compulsory for all states.

However, during a stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday at the Gombe State Government House, Governor Yahaya, who also serves as the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, stated: “I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament.”

In response to this, NLC Secretary in Gombe State, Ibrahim Fika, expressed the union’s dissatisfaction and hinted at a potential confrontation.

In an interview on Wednesday, Fika stated: “The governor has said his mind before us. We are anticipating the table of the national headquarters for the adjustment; from there, we will start our own struggle because, as we all know, the new minimum wage is now law after passing through scrutiny in the legislature and getting the presidential assent.

“We don’t see the reason why a governor will say he can’t afford to pay N70,000. We are expecting governors to pay more than that, not less.

“We will do our possible best to see that Gombe enjoys the new minimum wage by God’s grace.”