The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, revealed this while fielding questions from journalists after the extraordinary Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.

Responding to a threat by resident doctors to embark on a five-day warning strike over perceived attempts to ground medical and dental graduates nationwide for five years before being granted a practising licence, Ngige said the bill negates extant Labour laws.

The PUNCH reports that the sponsor of the ill, a member of the House of Representatives from Lagos State, Ganiyu Johnson, had explained that the move will check the mass exodus of medical practitioners from the country.

The legislation is titled, “A Bill for an Act to amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M379, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to mandate any Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioner to practise in Nigeria for a minimum of five years before being granted a full licence by the Council to make quality health services available to Nigeria; and for related matters.”

Reacting to the development, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors announced plans to embark on a five-day warning strike, vowing to resist any guise to “enslave” Nigerian medical doctors.

They also demanded an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salaries of doctors, the immediate implementation of CONMESS, domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act, and review of hazard allowance by all the state governments as well as private tertiary health institutions where any form of residency training is done; among others.

However, Ngige said, “Nobody can say they (doctors) will not get a practising licence until after five years. It will run contrary to the laws of the land that have established the progression in the practice of medicine.

“The Bill in the National Assembly cannot stop anybody from getting a full licence. That Bill is a private members’ bill. In the National Assembly, they attend to private members’ Bills and executive Bills.

Executive bills emanate from the government into the National Assembly with the stamp of the executive.

“It is either sent by the Attorney-General of the Federation or by the President, but usually from the Attorney-General of the Federation. So, it’s not an executive Bill, it’s a private member’s Bill.

“That document is, as far as I am concerned, not workable. Ab initio, I don’t support it and I will never support it.

As I said before, it is like killing a fly with a sledgehammer. They should think of other ways if they are trying to check brain drain, there should be other ways.”

The Minister said the five-day strike is unnecessary since the government was already engaging with the Nigerian Medical Association, NARD’s umbrella body.

On the demand for a 200 per cent salary increase, the NMA is the father of all doctors in Nigeria and they have about four or five affiliates of which the resident doctors are an association.

“So, NMA is discussing with the Federal Ministry of Health, salaries income and wages commission and the Ministry of Labour, and we know that NMA has accepted a salary increase of between 25 and 30 per cent across the board for their members.

“So, I don’t know the logic by which people who are members of NMA are now coming up to say pay us 200 per cent increase.

“I don’t understand it. I have called the NMA President to contact them because, on the issue of remuneration negotiation, it’s NMA that the government deals with. So, I have told the President of NMA to contact them and we will engage them. They should not go on any strike, it’s not necessary,” he said.

Ngige also revealed that the Council approved the Universal Implementation of the Employee Compensation Act 2010 following a memorandum presented by his ministry.

He explained that the law is operated by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, noting that it will replace the old Employee Compensation Act also known as Workmen Compensation.

Ngige said the Council approved the ECA for universal implementation, “meaning that, apart from the private sector that is already implementing, the public sector, which is government; federal, state and local governments, have now to adopt this for the protection of their workers.

The Act provides that the worker who is injured or had an accident or contracted a disease or disabled or dead in the course of work should be compensated, remunerated and even the family; pay something when the man is no longer there.

“It didn’t make provision for some of the children to be schooled or educated, up to the age of 21.

“So today is a good day for Nigerian workers because the decent work agenda that is contained in Convention 102 of the ILO has a major branch on what they call workers’ protection in the course of work.”

Ngige made this known on Wednesday night when he featured on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

The minister said the salary increment became important in view of the current economic reality of the country, however adding that President Buhari is yet to approve the percentage used for the increment.

This is as he noted that the pay rise was already included in the 2023 budget and would take effect from January 1, 2023.

“The Federal Government is looking at giving people in the public service a pay raise to take care of the increased cost of living.

“In the Presidential Committee on Salaries, we have done something for the civil servants for those who are on Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure and some corporations, MDAs that are on that CONPSS. CONPSS is the salary scale for civil servants.

“We put a percentage for the President to approve, we have approved it at our own committee level. We said it should take effect from January 1, 2023.”

The minister said the next administration should propose a new minimum wage higher than the current N30,000 by May 2023 while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today show on Wednesday.

Additionally, he said the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari approved pay raise for “hardcore civil servants”, effective January 1, 2023, adding that there is a provision for it in the 2023 budget.

Ngige said the pay raise is to enable civil servants to cushion the effect of inflation, increase in cost of living, increase in transportation, and increase in housing increase in electricity and other utilities.

According to the minister who was a member of a committee that negotiated a new minimum wage in 2018 which ended it in 2019, more than one year, the minimum wage in the West African country should be reviewed every five years to fit current standard of living.

“It is a tripartite negotiation involving public sector, private sector and state governments,” he said, adding that the minimum wage that went to the National Assembly then saw an increase from N18,000 to N30,000 though many states are yet to implement it.

Ngige said, “We entrenched in that bill or law that minimum wage will now have an automaticity of review every five years.

“So, from 2019 when it came into effect to 2024 will be five years but we also made a recommendation in our document which we submitted that the discussion, the negotiation should start one year from May 2024 when it supposed to kick-start.

“So, I’m envisaging that as from May 2023, the government will empanel the new minimum wage review committee for the nation.

“In my handover note which I am going to hand over to the transition committee and the next government, I am recommending that the discussions start anytime from May 2023.”

The Minister also said that the issue of pay rise for workers is being addressed, adding that the main thing now is the quantum of the pay rise.

This is as he has said that no one can stop migration and that there is migration from one continent to the other.

The NLC had directed all its chapters across the country to mobilize for a protest at all the branches of the CBN over the scarcity of naira that has brought untold hardship to the citizens.

However, the CBN delegation led by its governor, Godwin Emefiele and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, led by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaeo on Monday evening met with the minister in a bid to avert the strike.

But appearing on the weekly Ministerial Briefing, organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the State House, Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Ngige, disclosed that dialogues, coordinated by his ministry, had happened and the CBN had taken steps to remedy the situation.

The Minister, who was accompanied by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, the Permernent Secretary, Kachollon Daju and other senior officials of the Ministry, said as at the moment, the issue to be discussed by NLC in National Executive Council meeting would no longer be issues of protest, which he said had already been apprehended.

According to him, “Now they have all answered our calls because we are the Chief Conciliators. In my opening remark I said I’ve noticed that there’s already a dialogue going on and there’s also implementation and the Nigerian Labour Congress agreed that there was some thawing at the surface of the icing that was there.

“They said they will call up their National Executive Council meeting because the initial decision to give that ultimatum was given by this same Council. Members of the Council reside in the states and in the local governments so they will come up today, which is Tuesday, the 28th, to review the situation because much as it is, the important thing is that we have emphasised to them that we have apprehended this dispute.

“By Section 7:8 of Trade Dispute Act, once the Minister apprehends and starts conciliation on it, you maintain status quo ante bellum. So they have gone back now to review the situation. If they’re not satisfied with what they’re see, they will come back to me and I’ll invite the CBN again.

“But for now, the issue of discussion is no longer strike, the issue of discussion is implementation and how far it’s gone and how far it affects Nigerian workers and the general population.

“So that is it, the final decision will be done today by NEC and they will then do a resolution, of course, inform me and CBN what their resolution is. But like I said, we have apprehended and we are now conciliating”, he assured.

Senator Ngige said the issue of pay rise for the Nigerian workers is being addressed and that the issue going on now is the quantum of money for the pay raise.

He also said that the amount to be paid will be based on the availability of funds and the ability to pay.

On the migration of Nigerian professionals to another country, Senator Ngige said nobody would stop migration.

According to him, “There is migration from one continent to the other. I am not against migration.”

The government is considering a raise due to the rising cost of living caused by inflation.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige addressed reporters at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ngige announced that a Presidential Committee on Salaries had embarked on a review of current pay.

The advisory group is expected to come up with salary adjustments early next year.

The committee is working with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

The minister further confirmed that the team is chaired by the Finance Ministry.

“I am the co-chair to look at the demands of the workers. Discussions on evaluation are ongoing.

“As we enter the new year, the government will make some pronouncements”, Ngige said.

Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige in his speech at the public presentation of NLC’s 40 publications titled, ‘contemporary history of working-class struggles’ held in Abuja on Monday September 19, said the federal government knows that the N30,000 national minimum wage has lost its value.

Ngige said; “Yes the inflation has increased worldwide and it is not confined to Nigeria, that is why in many jurisdictions, it is an adjustment of wages right now.As the Nigerian government, we shall adjust in conformity with what is happening in wages.More importantly, the 2019 national minimum wage act, right now has a clause for the review, which we started then, I do not know whether it is due next year or 2024.But before then, the adjustment of wages will reflect what is happening in the economy, just as the government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made this known in Abuja, while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC at a public presentation of a publication titled, “Contemporary History of Working Class Struggles.”

The Minister explained that the increment in the minimum wage was necessitated by the current global inflation that has impacted negatively on citizens’ purchasing power.

Ngige expressed delight that the 2019 Minimum Wage Act included a new clause for a review which would make it easier for the government.

He said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had commenced the wage adjustment with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Ngige said, “The inflation is worldwide, we shall adjust the minimum wage in conformity with what is happening and much more important, the 2019 Minimum Wage Act has a new clause for a review.

“That adjustment has started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), because the stage they are, with their primary employers, the Ministry of Education, is a Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, negotiations”.

The students body, on Monday informed of taking protests to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Sagamu Interchange) over the ongoing ASUU strike.

Speaking on the protest, coordinator of the students body, Adegboye Olatunji stated that the protest was organised as a result of the lingering ASUU strike.

Olatunji stated, “Since the inception of this administration, we have seen how a meagre sum is allocated to the educational sector. It is based on the foregoing that we declare a protest against the prolonged ASUU strike which has ultimately affected the progress of Nigerian students for the past six months. And, we also passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

The students expressed worry that since the inception of this administration, they have seen a meagre sum of money allocated to the educational sector.

According to the association, It is based on the foregoing that we declare a protest against the prolonged ASUU strike which has ultimately affected the progress of Nigerian students for the past six months.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of legal tussle, there are speculations that the National Industrial Court may assign the case between the Federal Government and the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities to another judge.

It was gathered that the judge, who presided over the case on Monday, Polycap Hamman, is a vacation judge.

The case, which was filed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has been adjourned till Friday.

The student body has, however, dissociated itself from a report calling for the sack of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, by some “faceless students.”

The association’s Vice President (Special Duties), Odiahi Ikhine, who addressed a news conference on Monday in Abuja, said the students were unhappy with comments credited to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, that the government had no money to meet the demands of ASUU.

Keyamo was said to have asked parents to beg ASUU to call off the strike because the government could not afford the 1.2 trillion demands of the union as proposed by the Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs Committee on renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

Ikhine said the leadership of the Association would meet with Adamu and Ngige to know exactly what was happening after President Buhari gave a directive that the strike be resolved within two weeks and government officials were coming out to say that there was no money to meet the demands of the union.

He vowed that the students would not relent in their efforts to ensure the right thing is done.

“On the issue of ASUU strike, we as an organisation have been doing our best. We have been able to pressure the government and just recently the NLC called for a protest and we joined them. As it is, we are not relenting.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made the appeal on Thursday at a meeting with the leadership of NLC in his office.

Also in attendance at the meeting were the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Kachollom Daju.

Ngige, in his speech, updated the labour leaders of efforts so far made by the Federal Government to resolve the impasse in the university system.

The NLC had on July 17 announced that it would stage a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 to pressure the Federal Government to resolve the five-month-long strike by ASUU and other university-based unions.

The PUNCH reports that ASUU embarked on the industrial action on February 14, over what the union described as the failure of the government to address some of its demands.

In a press statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, the minister reminded the NLC leadership that he incorporated them into the tripartite conciliation going on in his ministry, and being aware of efforts of the government to resolve the impasse, they cannot embark on any rally or protest.

He further told the labour leaders that the Federal Executive Council mandated him to notify them of the serious security implications of the planned protest.

According to him, a security report also sent to his office by the Department of State Services, strongly warned against holding the protest.

He urged the NLC to reconsider the planned rally as hoodlums might take advantage of it to cause breach of security.

Ngige expressed the concern of the Government that politicians might cash in on the rally to wreak havoc in the country.

He said, “The masses might wrongly interpret the rally as a ploy by the NLC to enhance the chances of the Labour Party presidential candidate, a situation which could spur the supporters of the other political parties into violence.

“Section 40 of the constitution is clear on Freedom of Association. One of the provisions is that people of like minds can organise themselves and form a political party. There is also a provision that people in work or employment can organise themselves into unions. They are two parallels. Parallels don’t meet.

“I heard when you said you are mobilising for Labour Party. But, a trade union is not a political party. Look at the Trade Union Act. It does not allow trade unions to use their contributions to support any political party.”