Former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed spoke confidently on the Minimum Wage
Nigerian govt. double-speaks on N30, 000 Minimum Wage
Earlier in May, senior officials of Nigerian government had admitted directive for the implementation of national minimum wage of N30, 000 and that payment of youth corps members would be with immediate effect.
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Former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed during a valedictory session with journalists in Abuja said though modalities for implementation of the minimum wage across all sectors was being worked out, the federal government had issued a directive that payment of Corps members should start immediately.
But three months down the line, there has been no payment increase for the youth on one-year mandatory national service.
On Thursday, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) said it cannot pay the N30,000 minimum wage to corps members yet because it is yet to get such directive from the federal government.
Speaking on the minimum wage and N30,000 proposed allowance for corps members, Ibrahim said the process is still ongoing.
”On the minimum wage, I cannot make any pronouncement because it is ongoing. The moment it is transmitted to NYSC, we will make it known to the corps members and the general public,” he said.
Mr Ibrahim said 4,644,804 Nigerians had participated in the scheme since inception in 1973, saying the scheme had been able to achieve national unity and integration.
The DG added that 1,132,409 corps members in all had been equipped with Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development package provided by the scheme.
The agency also said it will hand over fake graduates coming for mobilisation to the police for prosecution.
The NYSC Director-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, said these during a media parley on Thursday in Abuja.
He said the NYSC Act stipulates that fake graduates are liable to two years in jail, after prosecution.
He said a corps producing institution will be blacklisted if it engages in this act.
“Let me reiterate our warning that any person who presents fake certificate in an attempt to get mobilised for service will be handed over to the security agencies for prosecution. We are working on those fake corps members. They will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
“If I show you their papers, you will feel very sad. Some people have asked me if NYSC has the power to crosscheck the certification of graduates, I said no, but we have the power to ensure that unqualified Nigerians are not mobilised for service.
“The NYSC Act says unqualified Nigerians who go for service are liable for jail (term) of two years. So, the NYSC will never condone or abet illegality in any form. We want Nigerians to know that. Since inception, 4,644,804 Nigerians have participated in the scheme.”