The presidency has denied reports making the rounds on social media claiming the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun, submitted a proposal of ₦105,000 as the new minimum wage.
There had been whispers the finance minister made such proposal to the president shortly after the minister left Aso Rock, having presented a template to the president within the 48-hour timeframe he was given for the assignment.
Responding to the reports, the special adviser to the president on media and strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, took to social media to debunk the story, describing it as “false”. Onanuga wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle; “The Honorable Minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun has not proposed ₦105,000 minimum wage. The contrary story being disseminated is false.”
Recall that the Tripartite Committee meeting on the new national minimum wage quickly adjourned on Wednesday to accommodate the timeframe given to the finance minister to present a workable template and cost implication of their proposal to the president.
On Thursday, the finance minister presented the template to the president and spoke briefly to newsmen after without disclosing much about the content of his brief, only saying the words “no cause for alarm.”
The tripartite committee are expected back at the negotiating table today as the clock ticks down on the 1-week grace labour leaders gave to the government to work out a new wage structure.
