Yesterday, some states clashed with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over an allegation of default in the N30,000 minimum wage payment.
The Labour Centre listed Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba and Zamfara as states not paying the expired minimum wage signed into law five years ago.
Assistant General Secretary of the NLC Chris Onyeka claimed that many state governors flout the Minimum Wage Act because they do not believe in the sanctity of the law.
Onyeka gave the position in Abuja yesterday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) .
He said: “A state governor who does not believe in the sanctity of the laws will have a high proclivity to disobey them.
“If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws.
“Is it now that they will obey the national minimum wage act?”
But Kogi, Enugu and Benue faulted NLC’s claim, saying they were not in default.
Zamfara started paying the N30,000 minimum wage this month.
Edo State has been paying N70,000 since May in anticipation of the new minimum wage.
In his national broadcast on June 12, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said that an executive bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly to formalise the new minimum wage agreement.
It followed the conclusion of negotiations by the Tripartite Committee.