Lawrence Olaoye 
The Federal Government yesterday applauded the states that have not only exceeded the N70 000 new national minimum wage but have also begun implementing it.
However, it appealed to the states that have yet to implement the new national minimum wage to start payment immediately. Rivers (N85,000), Lagos (N85,000), Niger (N80,000), Enugu (N80,000), Ogun (N77,000), Kogi (N72,500), Gombe (N71,500), Bayelsa (N80,000), Akwa Ibom (N80,000), Delta (N77,000), Kebbi (N75,000) and Ondo (N73,000) not only exceeded the new national minimum wage but pledged their commitment to fully implementing the payment with many of them promising to start the payment from this month.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, who spoke to reporters after meeting with President Bola Tinubu yesterday, said the increased wage above N70, 000 by governors is commendable and should be encouraged.
The former Benue State governor said: “We are very satisfied with it. “And, some state governments have started implementing; others have even gone beyond N70, 000. So I believe that there’s no problem with that whatsoever.”
Akume appealed to the governors who are yet to announce the minimum wage to do so and begin the payment. He said: “We applaud those who have started, those who have not started.
“We just want to appeal to them to start the payment. In terms of full implementation, quite frankly, the Federal Government is committed.”
Speaking on the compliance level by the sub-nationals, the SGF stressed the Tinubu government’s commitment to fully implement the new national minimum wage.
He said: “The issue of the new minimum wage has always been central to the thinking of the government of President Tinubu, and that was why he quickly assembled a committee to work out the modalities for the wage increase.”
