The House of Representatives has backed calls by state governors for institution of a new revenue sharing formula before the payment of the ₦18,000 minimum wage, defeating a crucial attempt by some members to pressure a quicker enforcement of the controversial new pay.
In a wide-ranging resolution Wednesday, the House rejected proposals urging state executives to pay the amount. They rather supported the governors' position that the formula be amended before the implementation of the new pay structure could commence.
The decision came amid threats of industrial action last week by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress over the refusal of some state governors to pay the new wage signed into law in May.
Agitation for the implementation of the new act escalated after governors, save for Lagos, Edo states and some states in the Niger Delta, declared that the amount can only be enforced with increased allocation to the states.
Under current formula, the federal government earns 52 percent monthly from the common revenue pool, while the states and the local government draw 30 percent and 18 percent respectively.
Besides reviewing that structure, the governors have called for more funds to be eased through the removal of petroleum subsidy; a touchy issue that has remained a rallying point for labour crisis in the past.
In an intervention that sought to calm industrial conflict fears in coming weeks, the House however called for wider dialogue between government officials and labour, but opposed labour campaign that the implementation be unconditional.
Ready for dialogue
"The House calls on the organized labour to allow the house dialogue with the minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity and other relevant agencies on the issue," the resolution read, but opposed labour's campaign that the implementation be unconditional.
The house took the decision to defeat a proposal by Abubakar Momoh, (Action Congress, Edo State) that payment of the ₦18,000 wage begins while a new formula is awaited.
"We must be mindful of the challenges faced by the governors and we should recognize that we need to take holistic look at the problem," said Leo Ogor, who represents Delta State.
Lawmakers also refused to condemn the proposed removal of fuel subsidy, leaving that as an open option for the government in a move some members criticized as capable of arousing further unrest.
"The ₦18,000 to a large extent is not even sufficient and any removal of the subsidy will create more problems for the states because the labour unions will come back with the issue," said Sunday Adepeju, (ACN Ekiti State).
The debates threw open fresh concerns over the powers of the federal government in the first place to assign a common wage structure for the states to follow.
While some lawmakers argued the special privilege allowed the federal legislature to that effect in the constitution, others called for a comprehensive consideration of such rights.
"We cannot have a uniform salary across board," said Femi Gbajabiamila, (ACN Lagos State). "It is a structural problem. You cannot compare the standard of living for instance say in Ekiti State and Lagos State." However, he added, "law is law and the law of the land must be obeyed."
In a wide-ranging resolution Wednesday, the House rejected proposals urging state executives to pay the amount. They rather supported the governors' position that the formula be amended before the implementation of the new pay structure could commence.
The decision came amid threats of industrial action last week by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress over the refusal of some state governors to pay the new wage signed into law in May.
Agitation for the implementation of the new act escalated after governors, save for Lagos, Edo states and some states in the Niger Delta, declared that the amount can only be enforced with increased allocation to the states.
Under current formula, the federal government earns 52 percent monthly from the common revenue pool, while the states and the local government draw 30 percent and 18 percent respectively.
Besides reviewing that structure, the governors have called for more funds to be eased through the removal of petroleum subsidy; a touchy issue that has remained a rallying point for labour crisis in the past.
In an intervention that sought to calm industrial conflict fears in coming weeks, the House however called for wider dialogue between government officials and labour, but opposed labour campaign that the implementation be unconditional.
Ready for dialogue
"The House calls on the organized labour to allow the house dialogue with the minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity and other relevant agencies on the issue," the resolution read, but opposed labour's campaign that the implementation be unconditional.
The house took the decision to defeat a proposal by Abubakar Momoh, (Action Congress, Edo State) that payment of the ₦18,000 wage begins while a new formula is awaited.
"We must be mindful of the challenges faced by the governors and we should recognize that we need to take holistic look at the problem," said Leo Ogor, who represents Delta State.
Lawmakers also refused to condemn the proposed removal of fuel subsidy, leaving that as an open option for the government in a move some members criticized as capable of arousing further unrest.
"The ₦18,000 to a large extent is not even sufficient and any removal of the subsidy will create more problems for the states because the labour unions will come back with the issue," said Sunday Adepeju, (ACN Ekiti State).
The debates threw open fresh concerns over the powers of the federal government in the first place to assign a common wage structure for the states to follow.
While some lawmakers argued the special privilege allowed the federal legislature to that effect in the constitution, others called for a comprehensive consideration of such rights.
"We cannot have a uniform salary across board," said Femi Gbajabiamila, (ACN Lagos State). "It is a structural problem. You cannot compare the standard of living for instance say in Ekiti State and Lagos State." However, he added, "law is law and the law of the land must be obeyed."
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How can we move forward if we are not considerate of one another???how many of these senators/reps give their children N18,000.00 as pocket money?this can even be spent in one sitting,yet people who have families are meant to live and feed from that meager amount.It is indeed sad...
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