The House of Representatives has approved the sum of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.
The approval followed the adoption of the report by the ad hoc committee set up on the New Minimum Wage Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.
Passing the bill for the third reading on Tuesday, the lawmakers unanimously approved the N30,000 recommendation by the committee in consonance with the resolution by the tripartite committee set up by the President.
Buhari had in the executive bill sought the approval of N27,000 as against the N30,000 agreed by the stakeholders.
Dogara said, “Today, we passed the new national minimum wage Bill 2019 in keeping with our commitment to improve the welfare of the Nigerian workers.
“The Bill was given speedy and accelerated passage in just two legislative days as a House of the Nigerian people.”
The ad hoc committee had recommended and adopted N30,000 minimum wage.
According to the bill, any employer who fails to comply shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five per cent of the offenders’ monthly wage.
The House resolved in the Committee of the Whole to consider the report. It resumed with the synopsis of the bill.
According to the chairman of the Committee, Mr. Yussuff Lasun, the bill did not cover employers whose staff strength is below 25.
Raising a point of order, the House Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, was of the opinion that the bill should take effect from six months after assent.
On the contrary, the lawmakers moved that the bill should take immediate effect as soon as the President signs it into law.
But the Speaker held a different opinion, noting that with the absence of appropriation, the bill could not be implemented.
To save the House from further debate, the Chairman House Committee on Rules and Business, Edward Pwajok, moved for an amendment to include that the bill becomes effective from the date it is assented to.
The bill, therefore, passed third reading on the floor of the House.
The House is to harmonise with its counterparts in the Senate for onward transmission to the President for his assent.