Akume: FG preparing for new minimum wage — things will begin to change

George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says there are preparations by the government to announce a new minimum wage for civil servants.

Akume spoke in Abuja on Thursday while flagging off a new presidential initiative for women’s empowerment.

The SGF who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event was felicitating the annual March 8 International Women’s Day (IWD).

Akume commended the efforts of the ministry of women affairs and social development in promoting gender equality in the country.

The SGF said Muslims and Christians should use the Lenten period and the coming Ramadan to offer prayers for the country and the president.

“Ours is a complex federation, where the three tiers of government all have access to federation account and so we if we work together, we can do more for our people,” he said.

“Things will begin to change as more compressed natural gas (CNG) buses make their way to the country and as we prepare for a new minimum wage.”

Last week Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) held a nationwide protest against the prevailing economic hardship.

Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the federal government failed to meet agreements reached with organised labour.

The agreement included the provision of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles as substitutes for petrol-powered vehicles, the cash transfer programme and an increment of the minimum wage.

In August 2023, the federal government said it would invest N100 billion between that time and March 2024, to acquire 3,000 units of 20-seater buses powered by CNG.

Another N130 billion was budgeted for CNG conversion and electric vehicles in December.

However, not much has been heard about the project since then.

Last month, the senate committee on gas said the federal government cannot disburse N100 billion earmarked for the CNG buses without the national assembly’s approval.

The committee’s comment came after it asked Wale Edun, minister of finance, to provide details on the cash disbursement for the project.

March was also the month that the federal government said it would hold talks with labour unions over a new minimum wage.

Earlier, the NLC demanded N794,000 as the new national minimum wage for workers in the south-west zone.

Ajaero had proposed N1 million.