by Nurat Uthman
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State inaugurated a committee on Thursday to oversee the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in the state.
The committee is chaired by the Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu, with Sandra George, a representative from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, serving as Secretary.
Mbah gave the committee a maximum of one month to submit its report.
Other members of the committee include the Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Nathaniel Uramah; the Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Chika Ugwuoke; and the Accountant-General of the state, Mr Anthony Okenwa.
Representing the labour side are the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Enugu State chapter, Fabian Nwigbo, and the Chairman of the state chapter of the Trade Union Congress, Benedict Asogwa.
Advising the committee to consult widely with relevant stakeholders, especially the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, to ensure that workers take ownership of the final report, the governor reiterated his commitment to workers’ welfare.
“We have set very ambitious targets for ourselves, and we know that the only thing between us and achieving these targets will be the human resources because as great as our visions and dreams might be, it would be impossible to do anything if we do not have a motivated workforce.
“We recognised this from the very beginning, which is why before discussions on the new minimum wage arose, we introduced wage awards and made a commitment that we would not stop until we transitioned to the new minimum wage.
“That is why the constitution of this committee for the implementation of the new national minimum wage is such an important exercise, and we have carefully selected its members. We believe that you will be able to discharge your duties creditably,” he said
