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This much was disclosed during the rally and protest embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Oyo state to sensitize the populace on the agitation of the organized labour towards achieving the signing into law and onward implementation of the new minimum wage.
The rally, which is being carried out simultaneously across all the 36 states of the federation, began at the Yidi park Agodi Ibadan and had in attendance all the constituent members of the organized labour led by the state chairman of the NLC Com Waheed Olojede. Also present was the National Vice President (Southwest) of the NLC Com. Lateef Oyelekan.
Speaking at the rally , the National Vice President (Southwest) Com. Lateef Oyelekan urged the president to transmit the agreement made by the tripartite committee on the minimum wage to the National Assembly so that the Governors can go ahead to implement the agreement. According to him, the agreed minimum wage of 30,000 is a product of serious and comprehensive negotiations by the tripartite committee set up by the federal government, as such the President should no longer any waste time in the onward transmission of the recommendation to the National Assembly for the necessary enactment.
At the Governor’s office at Agodi, the state Chairman of NLC Com. Waheed Olojede, underscored the importance of passing the new minimum wage into law and also implementing the new minimum wage of 30,000. He cited the examples of other countries that have gone ahead to implement a new and better minimum wage for their workers and saw no reason why Nigeria as the Giant of Africa will find it difficult to implement the new minimum wage of #30000 which was even not enough to cater for workers need considering the high rate of inflation in the country.
According to him, the organized labour has tried it best in compromising during negotiations and reneged from the #60,000 minimum wage initially demanded from government and thereby wants the government to reciprocate the gesture by acting in good faith to implement the new 30,000 agreed by the tripartite committee.
Speaking further to the gathering of state government f officials and workers in the state, Com. Waheed Olojede advised that Oyo state as the pace setter state in the country should indeed set the pace and serve as example for other states in the implementation of the new minimum wage.
A letter from the national body of the NLC to the state government was thereafter handed over to the Deputy Governor of the state Moses Adeyemo,
Addressing the workers, the State Deputy Governor, Hon Moses Adeyemo who welcomed the organized labour in the absence of the State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, lauded the decorum with which the state NLC led by Com. Waheed Olojede carried out the rally and protest. He noted that the state government was trying its best in ensuring that the welfare of workers was held paramount. He assured the organized labour that their letter would be delivered to the state Governor, and promised that the state government will not relent in making the affair and welfare of workers in the state a priority. s
