By Our Correspondent
The Anambra State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has said the state government has not implemented the new minimum wage three year after the bill was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The NLC chairman in the state, Chinwe Orizu disclosed this at a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State.
President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the National Minimum Wage Bill into law in 2019. The bill, which recommended N30,000 as the new national minimum wage was earlier passed by the National Assembly.
Following the presidential assent to the minimum wage, the bill officially became an Act of the National Assembly, giving workers the right to sue an employer or authorise the Minister of Labour to take action against such an employer in the event of a refusal to pay the stipulated wage.
Orizu said efforts by her predecessor, Jerry Nnubia-led NLC to work out an acceptable minimum wage for the workers in the state were frustrated by some government officials.
Commending the outgoing governor, Willie Obiano, for regular payment of workers in the state, Orizu however noted that Anambra workers were amongst the least paid in the country.
She vowed to take up the issue of unpaid gratuities and implementation of acceptable minimum wage in the state with the incoming governor of the state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
She added,”This administration (NLC) shall assiduously work to ensure that the workers enjoy all the goodies of a diligent worker as our main interest is to fight for the rights and welfare of workers in the state.
“We will lay everything on the table and we hope he ( Soludo) will understand the need to give the workers and retirees their dues”.
She alleged of a plot by some government officials to hijack the NLC leadership in the state, adding that the attention of the organised labour in the state had been drawn to reports making the rounds that a set of people masquerading as labour leaders had been sponsored to disorganize NLC in Anambra State.
According to her, they have been disseminating malicious and false information to the general public and the state workforce claiming fake chairmanship and secretary of NLC in the state.
She said: “It is no longer news that I was handed over the mantle of leadership of NLC Anambra State Council as the new chairperson by the immediate past chairperson,-Comrade Jerry Nnubia.
“This handover to me was sequel to the retirement from the civil service by the former chairperson after a meritorious service to the state and also in line with the provisions of NLC constitution and in compliance with NLC national secretariat directive .I was handed over this mantle of leadership to complete his tenure which will expire in April 2023, pending when the next delegates conference will be conducted.
“Comrade Nnubia on the 12th of September 2021 , during the meeting of State Administrative Council(SAC) comprising all elected officers of NLC and State Executive Council(SEC) comprising all SAC members and all chairmen and secretaries of all affiliate unions to NLC, officially informed the SEC-in-session that he had retired from the civil service.
“The SAC and SEC unanimously resolved that Comrade Jerry Nnubia should hand over within three months from from the date of the meeting to bring on board a successor, who will pilot the affairs of the congress for the remaining period of the tenure, which will end in April, 2023.
“No election will be conducted during the tenure of the elected leadership and so the next election will hold at the expiration of the present tenure in 2023.
“On 22nd December, 2021, during State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, I, Comrade Orizu Chinwe the current chairperson of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria(MHWUN) was unanimously chosen from among the four vice chairmen by SEC in line with the provisions of NLC constitution and in adherence to directive of the NLC national headquarters, Abuja to take over as the NLC chairperson Anambra State Council for the remaining tenure of outgoing chairman. The valedictory SEC meeting /handover ceremony was successfully done on the 22nd of December 2021 at the Geogold hotel Awka.
“We wish to use this opportunity to request Anambra State workers and general public to disregard the antics of these impostors and any misinformation peddled by them as they are desperate, illegal, misguided and paid agents bent on mortgaging the interest of workers in the state for their personal and selfish interests.
“We also urge the general public, especially Anambra workers to resist the evil and sinister motives of those planning to hijack and mortgage their future.
