Falana Reveals How State Govts Will Be Forced To Pay New Minimum Wage

Foremost lawyer and rights activist, Femi Falanahas has said all states can pay the minimum wage, following funds accrual from the removal of fuel subsidy.

Appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Falana said, states that default would be dragged to court.

He said: “There is no state in Nigeria today that cannot pay more than the minimum wage because the government removed fuel subsidy last year and President Tinubu told Nigerians that the money made from that policy will be used.

“Any state government or employer of labour that does not pay the national minimum wage, we have agreed this time around (our law firm and the labour unions) we are not going to allow the non-payment of wages. They will be dragged to court.

“We are going to ensure the law is complied with, including the fact that we will be paying the court to make an order, deducting what belongs to the workers monthly from the source in Abuja. We cannot go like this.”

This is coming against the backdrop of the federal government’s agreement with organized labour over the payment of a new national minimum wage for workers.

Labour which embarked on an indefinite strike had called it off on Tuesday following negotiations and agreement.

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, had demanded N464,000 as a new minimum wage but the government proposed N60,000.