• Oyebanji, Wike settle for 70,000 in Ekiti, FCT
• Sokoto directs NLC to submit proposal

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has approved the immediate payment of N70,000 new National Minimum Wage to workers of the Administration.

The minister also announced the payment of three months’ arrears of the new minimum wage to the workers.

Wike said this would ameliorate the plight of workers in the employ of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

A statement yesterday in Abuja by the FCT’s acting Head of Civil Service (HCS), Mrs. Grace Adayilo, said the move was part of the minister’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of the workers.

Mrs. Adayilo said the gesture would further spur the FCTA workers to support the minister in delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Also, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji yesterday approved N70,000 minimum wage for the state’s workers as from December 1.

The approval followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the state government and leaders of organised labour in the state.

According to the MoU, the new minimum wage will cover all strata of Ekiti workers as well as pensioners.

The wage agreement was signed on behalf of the state government by the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, while the labour leaders signed on behalf of the workers.

Olomojobi said Governor Oyebanji approved the template the way it was presented by the committee and based on the governor’s commitment to prioritising workers’ welfare and wellbeing.  The HoS described the governor as “worker-friendly” and with the desire for the workers to have the best work environment.

“Today is another landmark in the history of Ekiti State as we come together to sign the new minimum wage for Ekiti State public servants. I want to first appreciate our governor, who, on August 31, 2024, put together the committee to negotiate Ekiti State Public Service Minimum Wage. This committee has taken not less than eight weeks to meet to deliberate on the minimum wage for Ekiti State.

“I want to emphasise that this was a very painstaking process; it was a process that brought to bear the funds available to Ekiti. In the midst of this, Mr. Governor bent forward and backward to accommodate our yearnings. Today, we have agreed on the minimum wage to be paid in Ekiti State.

“In the past few weeks, we have also put together the consequential adjustment and I am happy to announce that the Governor of Ekiti State is bringing out the best for every public worker in the state.

“I have had the privilege of looking at what is done across the nation and I congratulate Ekiti state workers for having the best deal. Today we will be endorsing the consequential adjustment, across the state, local government areas, across every parastatals and MDAs in the state. The pensioners are not left out,” Olomojobi said.