Senior civil servants seek consequential adjustment of minimum wage increment on their pay
By Eberechi Obinagwam
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has called for a committee to work out the consequential adjustment arising from the new National Minimum Wage Act, 2024.
The association in a communique at the end of its 5th quadrennial national delegates conference held in Lagos, also warned against shortchanging any grade level of workers in the the consequential adjustment.
The communique issued on Monday, read in part; “The conference in session commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the N70,000 per month National Minimum Wage Bill, 2024 into law on Monday, 29 July 2024. It enjoined the government to set up a committee to work out the consequential adjustment arising from the new National Minimum Wage Act, 2024 as has always been the practice so that no grade level of workers will be shortchanged. It also called for immediate implementation of the new minimum wage.”
The communique signed by the National President, Comrade Shehu Muhammed and General Secretary, Comrade Joshua Apebo equally implored state governments to take necessary measures to block wastage and leakages in government expenditure so that they could implement the new national minimum wage.
They said the new national minimum wage when implemented by the various state governments would improve citizens’ standard of living, arguing that states now receive enhanced funds from the federal government since May 2023, hence, they have no excuse not to pay.
On insecurity, the association urged the government to take necessary measures to reduce the challenges, adding that the menace has contributed to the high cost of living because farmers couldn’t carry out agricultural activities.
The communique noted that the nationwide protest was a wake-up call for all the tiers of government to do their best to address the issues of hunger, and poverty. It said if social amenities were available, life would have become more meaningful for most citizens with the meagre incomes at their disposal.
On payment of gratuity, the communique implored the government to speed up the process in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.
They stressed the need to include pensioners under the contributory pension scheme (CPS) in the view of pension increases so that they could benefit from such periodic review of pension rates like their colleagues who retired under the defined benefit scheme (DBS) in line with the provisions of section 174 (3) of the 1999 constitution which stipulates that “pension shall be reviewed every five years or together with any federal civil salary reviews, whichever is earlier”
The association ratified the appointment of comrade Joshua Apebo as Secretary General of the association in line with rule 14 (f) (I) of the union’s constitution.