Minimum Wage: Senate panel submits report on Tuesday

The senate committee on minimum wage bill will submit its report by Tuesday next week.

Members of the committee who held their first sitting on Wednesday gave the assurance at the end of their deliberations.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had appointed the Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, as acting head of the panel, following the voluntary withdrawal of the chairman, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, on health grounds.

Alimikhena assured Nigerians that the committee would hasten the process of putting the report together and submit it at plenary next week Tuesday.

A member of the panel, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), called for the review of revenue allocation formula by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation as a way of effectively implementing the recommended N30,000 minimum wage across all tiers of government.

Adeola supported the recommended N30,000 contained in the National Minimum Wage Bill, adding however that the law, when passed, must be implemented by all the three tiers of government.

He said, “I am in support of the recommended minimum wage as it will go a long way in cushioning the challenges faced by workers. However, there must be no excuse for non-implementation by any tier of government across the federation.

“It is in this wise that I call on the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission to begin a process that will lead to the review of the Revenue Allocation Formula for all tiers of government to be able to pay the minimum wage when passed into law.”