The House of Representatives Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity has said the National Assembly would give the minimum wage bill accelerated hearing and passage.
The chairman of the committee, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on November 27 set up a 30-man National Minimum Wage Committee headed by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ms. Ama Pepple.
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The committee had recommended N30, 000 minimum wage for workers but state governors, who argued that they were not carried along, insisted it would be impossible to implement without reducing their workforce.
Onyewuchi, who represents Owerri Municipal/North/West Federal Constituency of Imo State, said when the minimum wage amendment bill is sent to them by President Buhari, the National Assembly would do the needful.
“For us, we have to wait here until the president sends in the amendment bill, it will go through the rudiment of lawmaking; pass through the committees at various levels.
“We know how important it is; we know that the workers are desirous of wage increase, especially the minimum wage, which for me as a committee chairman, I consider it important,” he said.
The lawmaker said although the bill would not negate the normal legislative scrutiny, he assured that it would be given an expeditious passage.
“And for me, we want a living wage, a wage the workers can live on.
“And essentially, I am in support of it because if you look at it on the last May Day, I was the person that moved the motion on the floor of the House on this same issue of wage increase and minimum wage adjustment.
“So, I think for me, there is need to take a second look at the minimum wage and by the time it is sent to us, we will give it an expeditious passage,” he said.
