FEDERAL Government has appointed financial analyst, Bismark Rewane, Chairman of the newly inaugurated Presidential Advisory Committee on New National Minimum Wage to guide it on how best to go about the implementation of the minimum wage demanded by organised labour
This is just as President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the committee to explore modalities for reappraising salaries of those already earning above the proposed minimum wage upon submission of the report.
The inauguration which held at the Council Chambers, of the State House, Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, came barely few hours after the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and organized labour entered a pact to ensure the transmission of the wage bill to the National Assembly latest January 23.
While the committee members carries out its assignment, Buhari charged them to explore modalities for reviewing salaries of those already earning above the proposed minimum wage upon submission of the report.
In fashioning out how the new wage should be implemented, the President cautioned them against recommendations that would jeopardize the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan(ERGP) especially for it not to suffer adverse consequences.
Buhari disclosed that he has never been averse to reviewing workers’ salaries upward, noting that the committee has a month to complete its assignment.
Others to serve in the presidential committee includes from the private sector: former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Sulieman Barry, Dr Ayo Teriba, and Prof. Akpan Ekpo.
From the public sector are: Chairman FIRS, Dr Babatunde Fowler, Director General of Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, who is the secretary of the committee, representative of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Richard Egbule, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Permanent Secretary General Service Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olusegun Adekunle, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Olajide Odewale, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, and Solicitor General Of the Federation and Permanent Secretary ministry of Justice Mr. Dayo Apata.
Others are Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, office of the Vice President, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Economic Policy Dr. Joseph Nnanna, Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, Director General Debt Management Officer, Ms. Patience Oniaga, Director General National Institute of Social and Economic Research, Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, Statistician General, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale, Mrs. Aisha Hamad, Mamman Garba and Tunde Lawal.
