N70,000 minimum wage: We'll shut down defaulting states — Civil servants threaten

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has issued a stern warning to states that are unwilling to adopt the new N70,000 national minimum wage, threatening to disrupt their activities if they fail to comply.

Shehu Muhammed, the newly elected President of the ASCSN, delivered this warning during the association’s 5th Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Lagos, where he was named the new president.

Muhammed emphasized the inevitability of implementing the new minimum wage, stating, "For states not ready to implement the new minimum wage, let me tell you categorically, it is impossible. We are coming for them."

He called on state governments to adopt the new wage to enhance the standard of living for their citizens, noting that the states’ revenue has been increasing due to higher allocations from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC,. 

To make the new wage feasible, Muhammed suggested that state governments should focus on reducing waste and plugging financial leakages. He also recommended that states consider indexing wages to inflation rates to ensure they keep up with the cost of living.

As the new ASCSN President, Muhammed highlighted that the immediate priority is to address the issue of the new minimum wage. He called for the establishment of a committee to work on the consequential adjustments needed for implementation and to develop strategies that would ensure Nigerian workers earn a living wage.

“The full implementation of the new national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments at both the federal and the 36 states of the federation will be the top priority of Organised Labour.”

Earlier, the Secretary General of the Association, Joshua Apebo argued that following the increase in allocation from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, since the removal of fuel subsidy, the state governors should immediately implement the new minimum wage to improve the standard of living of their citizens.

He said “We request that state governments implement the new national minimum wage to enhance the standard of living for their citizens. This can be achieved by reducing wastages and blocking leakages of government funds. We also advise the government to adopt the policy of indexing income to match inflation rates, as recommended years ago by the Chief Ernest Shonekan committee.”

Delivering a solidarity message, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Festus Osifo, promised to support the new executives to ensure the interests of workers were protected.