Kaduna govt denies non-implementation of national minimum wage

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has debunked claims by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Kaduna State Chapter that he has not implemented the national minimum wage.

DAILY POST recalls that the Kaduna State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in a statement dated 28th November 2024, and signed by its Secretary, Gado Hussaini Titus, had accused the state government of non-implementation of the 72,000 Naira minimum wage

But a statement by the Chief Press Secretary of the state, Malam Ibraheem Musa on Sunday, decried NLC’s lumping of Kaduna State with others, adding that it is a misrepresentation for the NLC to claim that the state has defaulted.

The statement described the report “as grossly unfair because the least paid worker received N72,000 as gross salary in the month of November.’’

“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has complied with the spirit and letter of the National Minimum Wage Law, by paying the lowest paid civil servant N72,000 last month.

According to the statement, NLC is harping on the issue of consequential adjustment but the labour body should realise that there is a difference between salary increment and Minimum Wage.

“Kaduna State receives an average of N8 billion from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC from the centre every month. It also generates around N4 bn monthly. That translates to N12 billion revenue monthly.’’

“However, the monthly wage bill has jumped from N5.4 billion to N6.3 billion with the implementation of the Minimum Wage last month. And there is also the deduction of N4 billion for loan payments every month.

“So, the wage bill and the deduction have gulped over N10 billion out of the total N12 billion revenue. That leaves only N2 billion for rural transformation, overhauling the health sector, revamping education and providing dividends of democracy to the people of Kaduna State,’’ he said.

It added that it will be unfair for Kaduna State Government to spend almost all its revenue on consequential adjustments, after paying the mandatory Minimum Wage.

“There are over 10 million people who are also entitled to the accrued revenue of Kaduna State. There are 84,827 civil servants in the state. So, it is unreasonable for the Government to spend over 90% of its revenue on just about !% of the population,” he explained.

He pleaded with NLC to exercise patience over the consequential adjustments, pending when the Government’s revenue improves, adding that Governor Uba Sani is Labour-friendly, just as he reminded that the Kaduna State Government has already bought buses for civil servants which will convey them to and from work free of charge, as part of the palliatives to cushion the prevailing economic challenges.

Kaduna govt denies non-implementation of national minimum wage