Governors not paying minimum wage unfit to govern –NASU

Governors not paying minimum wage unfit to govern –NASU

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has said any governor yet to commence payment of the N30,000 minimum wage should be considered unfit to govern.

The union, in resolutions of the meeting of the universities and inter-university centres’ trade group held at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, affirmed that the primary purpose of government is to secure the welfare of the people, and any governor that is unable to pay the minimum wage to the workforce has failed in his responsibility and is not fit to govern.

The resolutions jointly signed by deputy president/chairman and secretary, Universities and Inter-University Trade Group, Buhari Suleiman and Damola Adelekun, condemned in strong terms state governments that have not implemented or have haphazardly implemented the minimum wage law since it was signed into law in April 2019.

The council noted that the purpose of the current N30,000.00 national minimum wage has been defeated as the multiple devaluation of naira and high inflation rate have devalued the salaries earned by Nigerian workers and, therefore, demanded a better minimum wage.

The council also called on the Federal Government to make good its promise of paying the minimum wage arrears to workers in the universities and inter-university centres as well as other tertiary institutions in Nigeria by the middle of June 2022 as agreed in the conciliation meeting on May 5, 2022, while appealing to state governments yet to implement it to do so, as further delay portends industrial disquiet.

The council further called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to deny accreditation of courses in state universities defaulting in the implementation of the minimum wage.

The resolutions read: “The council-in-session observed that some state governments are not living up to their responsibilities in terms of salary payment to staff of the state-owned universities. Council condemned in totality this act and described same as insensitive and demotivating.

“Council noted that the following state-owned universities are suffering from different months of unpaid and haphazardly paid salaries: Adekunle Ajasin Ondo State University, three months; Bauchi State University, two months; TASUED, Ijebu-Ode. four months; Ekiti State University, four months (2018); Enugu State University of Science and Technology , three months; Abia State University, Uturu, eight months; Imo State University, 12 months and below; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, four months; Taraba State University, 50 per cent payment since February 2022 till date, etc.”

“The union as such charged the affected state governments to, without further delay, pay the outstanding salary of their workers, failing which industrial harmony may not be guaranteed.”

The union equally lamented failure of some state governments to release workers’ contributions under the Contributory Pension Scheme to their respective pension fund administrators (PFAs) in clear violation of the Contributory Pension Scheme Law.

It noted that the action of the affected state governments in this regard portends grave danger for the scheme and retirees. 

“Council, therefore, calls on the affected state governments to remit promptly both the workers’ and employers’ contributions into the PFAs’ accounts accordingly and desist from all unlawful acts that may jeopardize the retirement benefits of retirees and put their lives into misery,” the resolutions added.

On the economy, the union expressed deep concern at the rate of hyper-inflation in the country and the unprecedented high exchange rate of the naira to the dollar, over-borrowing as well as other negative indices, which it said are further pushing Nigerians below the poverty line and wiping out the middle class.

It charged the Federal Government to think out of the box, rejig the economy and review all policies putting unnecessary pressure on the naira, as Nigerians are going through economic woes.