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Minimum Wage: Tinubu’s Meeting With Labour Ends In Deadlock

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2024

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s meeting with organized Labour on Thursday, July 11, concluded without any new developments regarding the national minimum wage.

Previously, the government and the organized private sector had agreed on a N62,000 wage, while organized Labour insisted on a minimum of N250,000.

A new meeting between President Tinubu and organized Labour is scheduled for next week to continue discussions on the national minimum wage.

Labour representatives indicated that the one-week break will allow them to reflect on the issues raised during Thursday’s discussions.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Usifoh, affirmed that the meeting did not discuss anything in terms of naira and kobo.

The minister noted that President Tinubu only had a discussion with the leadership of organized labour as a father to children but expressed the hope that a solution will soon be found to the minimum wage issue.

“It was a meeting between father and children and… I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. When father and children talk, you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened and it took us almost like an hour, and I believe that it’s all for good”, she said.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, President of the NLC, Comrade Ajaero said that there was nothing like negotiation at the meeting but rather a discussion on the current economic realities in the country.

According to him, “In a real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week.

“So that’s where we are because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on”, he said.

Asked whether the organized labour insisted on the N250,000 demand at the meeting, the NLC President said: “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into Naria and Kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”

Also speaking, the President of TUC, Osifo, said that the organized Labour put all the economic indices on the table and how it was biting on Nigerians.

“In the meeting, we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bordering and biting Nigerians today, are the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, and how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.

“So, we tried to put these before Mr President because he is the President of the country and the bulk stops at his table.

“We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today (Thursday) we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that Labour always makes.

“We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues. So, we put everything forward and at the end, the President made his remark as the President and we all agreed let’s go back to internalize it, have some conversations and by one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting”, he said.

Speaking in an interview, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed optimism that there would be a positive result after next week’s meeting.

“Recall that already there is 62,000 naira that has been put out there from the government side and the organized private sector but the organized labour is still not accepting that but we know that they will come to the table, we know that this is something that is going to be workable for Nigerians.

“The organized labour and the government will reach an agreement. We have adjourned now for a week. The labour union has asked the government to allow them At least a week to discuss this further and we have allowed them. We’re going to reconvene in the next one week and we hope and we believe by the end of the day, we’ll have something good for all Nigerians.

“We do hope that by the time we come together again next week, we’ll have something that we can put out for Nigerians to see and to agree with.”

However, a source privy to the meeting said that the President urged the organized labour to consider the N62,000 offer the federal government and the organized private sector made.

According to the source, President Tinubu narrated what led to the subsidy removal and how Nigeria was feeding her neighbours and was suffering.

The source said: “President Tinubu suggested that instead of waiting for five years to review the minimum wage, we can continue to dialogue and see the possibility of reviewing it every two years.

“He also said that the Organized Labour should consider the N62,000 offer because it is double of the N30,000 we were paying.”

The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that when the NLC President reminded Tinubu that it would amount to wage reduction if the organized labour accepts N62,000 as the least paid worker currently goes home with N72,000 (including wage award and 40% increase), he (President Tinubu) was just laughing.

News

NAFDAC Raises The Alarm Over Fake Milk In Circulation

Published

10 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control on Friday raised the alarm over the presence of counterfeit Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet milk circulating in Nigeria.

The alert posted on the agency’s website stated that Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, which is the marketing authorisation jolder and manufacturer of Cowbell “Our Milk” informed the agency about the existence of a product bearing a close resemblance to the genuine Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet Milk.

“This includes unauthorised use of the brand name, packaging design, NAFDAC registration number, and trademark.

“The MAH has confirmed that these products are neither manufactured or distributed by them as the counterfeit packaging design was last used for production by the company in September 2023,” NAFDAC noted.

Differentiating, it said the genuine cowbell milk is creamy, the packaging material used is the revised PNG artwork “Our Creamy Goodness”, the printing of the batch details is done with laser printing, the coding is done on the coding area on the sachet, and the sealing and cutting on the vertical sides are automated.

It said the content of the counterfeit Cowbell 12g sachet milk does not seem like milk, the packaging material used is the old PNG artwork “Our Milk”, the printing of the batch details was done with ink instead of laser printing, the coding was not done on the coding area but on a different part of the sachet, and the sealing and cutting on the vertical sides were manually done.

It added, “The use or consumption of counterfeit Cowbell ‘Our Milk’ Milk presents serious health and safety risks.

“Such products may contain harmful substances, including toxic chemicals, unapproved additives, or diluted ingredients that do not meet food safety standards.

“Consumption of counterfeit milk can result in foodborne illnesses, allergic reactions, organ damage, or even death in severe cases. Infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.”

The agency urged all NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators to conduct surveillance and mop up the counterfeit Cowbell 12g sachet Milk products within their zones and states.

“Distributors, retailers, and consumers are advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to prevent the distribution, sale, and use of the counterfeit milk product.

“All food products must be obtained from authorised/licensed manufacturers/suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.

“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of sale of substandard and counterfeit food products to the nearest NAFDAC office, NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng

“Similarly, healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of counterfeited food products to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng,” it said.

News

Orphaned Nigerian TikToker ‘Geh Geh’ Goes Viral, Rakes In $30,000 From One Live Session

Published

11 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A young Nigerian known as “Geh Geh” has captured the hearts of thousands online after his TikTok live session on Thursday drew an astonishing 177,000 viewers and reportedly earned him gifts worth over $30,000.

The social media personality, who refers to his online platform as the “University of Wisdom and Understanding,” has been making waves with his unconventional approach to advising men on relationships and finances.

In a video he posted after the live session, Geh Geh said, “More than 177,000 people watch my lectures today.

“Jesus! University of wisdom and understanding, the only university where once you graduate, woman go fear to ask you for money.”

News

Daredevil Boko Haram Leader, Bakura Neutralized In Niger

Published

15 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A notorious leader of the Boko Haram insurgents, Ibrahim Mahamadu, popularly known as Bakura, has been killed in the Lake Chad Basin, the Niger Army said on Thursday.

The Army, in a statement, tagged the terrorist a “feared leader” of the group, stating that he was targeted by a fighter jet early on August 15.

“Very early in the morning of August 15, an Air Force fighter aircraft launched three targeted and successive strikes on the positions Bakura used to occupy in Shilawa,” it added.

The statement also revealed that the Boko Haram leader, who was said to be about 40 years old, was originally from Nigeria.

He reportedly joined the terrorist group more than 13 years ago and took over leadership after Abubakar Shekau.

DAILY POST reports that Shekau, a former leader of Boko Haram, died during jihadist infighting in May 2021