Following the lingering discussions on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, organised labour has said that it is not fixated on any figure.
The tripartite committee on minimum wage ended its deliberations last week, submitting two figures to President Bola Tinubu for consideration as the new minimum wage.
While the government and the organised private sector are proposing ₦62,000, organised labour is demanding ₦250,000 as the new minimum wage.
However, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, who was a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief on Friday, said no figure is sacrosanct as there is always room for adjustments.
“What we said is that for us when we give figures, there is always a room to meander, there is always a room for us to do some adjustment here and there,” Osifo said.
“So, there is no figure that is sacrosanct, there is no figure that is cast in stone that both parties will be fixated on it. One of the reasons that we went on industrial action the last time was because when it got to N60,000, they told us that a kobo cannot even join the N60,000, that they cannot even add one naira to it.
“So that was one of the reasons that led to that industrial action beyond the fact that there were also delays.”
President Tinubu is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for legislative action.
The TUC President said that they are not going to pre-empt the President, but they are making all efforts to justify why Tinubu should tilt towards the figure presented by the labour instead of the one by the organised private sector and the government.
He said that if the President send a figure that is not favourable to the labour to the National Assembly, they will still approach the lawmakers and push them to do much more.
Osifo vowed that the work of the labour leaders will not end until the Minimum Wage Act 2024 becomes law. He said it is premature to predict what labour will do if what is passed is not acceptable to them at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has said that he will only approve a new minimum wage that the government can afford.
He stated this on Wednesday at a dinner to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy in Abuja.
“I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President,” he said, adding that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau would soon get an Executive Bill from him on the new minimum wage.
“The minimum wage is going to be what Nigerians can afford, what you can afford and what I can afford. Cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all,” he said.
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, says he pities President Tinubu if he approves an “unsustainable” minimum wage for workers in the country.
The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) warned that not all state governments and the organised private sector can pay the ₦62,000 proposed by the Federal Government and the ₦250,000 demand of organised labour.
Soludo spoke on Wednesday at The Platform Nigeria, a programme by Lagos-based church, Covenant Nation, to mark 2024 Democracy Day.
“But on the other hand, you have to come back to reality, talking about these MSMEs, the schools, churches, so on and so forth. You will have to pay your own driver. We are all in it. Whatever they agree, we will muddle through but may be after one year, we will need to meet to discuss the consequences.”
“I pity the President because it will all be on his head if the consequences come down, whatever it is, if whatever is negotiated is unsustainable or payable or whatever. Months to come, who will bear the responsibility? Not me.”
The discussions for a new minimum wage has lingered for months, with the tripartite committee ending with the two figures last week.
While labour dropped its earlier demand from ₦494,000 to ₦250,000, the government added ₦2,000 to its initial ₦60,000 and offered workers ₦62,000.
Both sides submitted their reports to the President, who is expected to make a decision and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to pass a new minimum wage bill to be signed into law by the President.
Police operatives in Ogun have recovered 11 assorted iPhones,, laptop computer and other items from two members of a robbery gang arrested shortly after their operation at a student hostel in the Eruku/Agbon area of Ewekoro of the state.
The gang of robbers also forced one of the victims to transfer N200,000 to an account during the robbery operation. Ogun Police command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abeokuta.
The Ogun Police Command spokesperson said the suspects were arrested following a distress call from an anonymous caller at about 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 13.
According to him, the caller alerted the police to an armed gang robbing students at a hostel in the area.
According to him, operatives of the Ewekoro Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, promptly responded to the distress call.
”On sighting the police operatives, the suspects abandoned their loot in a school bag and attempted to flee.
”However, the team pursued and successfully apprehended two suspects,” he said.
Babaseyi said a search of the abandoned school bag led to the recovery of 11 assorted iPhones, an HP laptop and various items of clothing.
He added that some victims had identified the recovered property as belonging to them.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang allegedly forced one of the victims to transfer N200,000 to an account during the robbery,” he said
He also said that detectives had visited the crime scene, documented the forced entry and secured the recovered exhibits.
He further said that the suspects and the recovered property had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for discreet investigation and prosecution.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and locate the owner of the beneficiary account.
He quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, as commending the Ewekoro operatives for their vigilance and prompt response.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting students and residents across the state from criminal elements.
He urged operators of off-campus student hostels and landlords to maintain emergency contact numbers and promptly report security threats or suspicious activities.
“Residents are advised to use the Gateway Shield toll-free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464 to report emergencies,” he said.
Two officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the divisional police officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo LGA of Benue state.
Aondongu, spokesperson for the Benue state police command, confirmed the incident on Wednesday, report said.
The DPO, who reportedly travelled to Makurdi on official duty, was returning to Ayilamo on Monday when armed assailants ambushed his entourage.
The victims were said to have been among the newly deployed mobile police officers in the area.
Last Thursday, four police officers and seven civilians were killed when bandits attacked the community.
Aondongu said “suspected armed bandits in large numbers” invaded and attacked the community before killing the victims.
The police spokesperson said police operatives comprising the PMF unit, tactical team and conventional police officers deployed to the area responded and engaged the attackers in a firefight that lasted seven hours.
“The operatives stood firm in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attack, forcing the criminal elements to retreat into the surrounding forest with heavy casualties in the early hours of 11th September 2026,” Aondongu said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful 2027 general election, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the polls will reflect the sovereign will of the electorate.
The assurance was given by the Acting Chairman of INEC, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, on Tuesday while receiving the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission on behalf of the Commission at its headquarters in Abuja.
The AU delegation, led by former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, is in Nigeria to assess the country’s overall electoral preparedness and identify areas requiring further support and intervention.
Welcoming the delegation, Gumus described the mission as an important opportunity for peer assessment, institutional learning and strengthening of Nigeria’s electoral processes at a critical period in the country’s democratic journey.
She said INEC valued its partnership with the AU in advancing democratic standards and credible electoral governance across the continent.
According to her, the mission should not be viewed as a formality but as an important mechanism for strengthening institutional resilience and reinforcing public confidence in the electoral process.
Gumus highlighted the scale of preparations already underway for the 2027 general election, saying INEC was undertaking extensive operational, technological and logistical preparations to ensure effective participation by all eligible Nigerians.
She added that lessons from recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun states continued to provide valuable learning opportunities for the Commission.
The Acting Chairman also outlined areas where technical and institutional support from the AU would be valuable.
They include digital training for ad hoc election personnel, countering election-related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, as well as deepening inclusivity and gender-mainstreaming frameworks.
She emphasised that electoral integrity remained a collective responsibility involving electoral institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, development partners and the electorate.
Gumus also reaffirmed the independence and neutrality of the Commission, saying it remained committed to conducting the 2027 election professionally.
She assured that under the current Commission led by Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, every administrative decision would strictly follow the law, while technical deployments would be designed to promote transparency.
She said the final outcome of the 2027 general election would reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate.
Speaking on the purpose of the visit, Mekonnen said the AU mission was designed as a supportive and consultative engagement aimed at assessing activities already underway, identifying gaps and risks, and exploring possible areas of technical assistance.
He said the mission would engage INEC and other key stakeholders to assess preparedness in voter registration and register integrity, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, dispute resolution, security coordination and results management.
Mekonnen underscored the continued partnership between Nigeria and the African Union in promoting democratic governance and credible elections across the continent.
President Tinubu Directs Cut in Dialysis Cost from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000
PICTURE: In Lagos Couple Sentenced to 22½ Years for Cannabis Trafficking
Dangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Gantry Price To ₦1,200 Per Litre
NELFUND Disburses ₦86bn To 449,000 Beneficiaries
Heritage Bank Customers’ Path to Securing ₦5m Insured Funds: A Step-By-Step Guide by NDIC”
Dangote; We Did Not Fix ₦600/Litre Petrol Price
Indian Police Arrest Nigerian Over ₦290m Drug Haul
After Plea Bargain, Court Discharges Stella Oduah of ₦2.5bn Fraud
