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The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has accused several state governors of treating the implementation of the new N70,000 national minimum wage as a political manoeuvre rather than a genuine commitment to workers’ welfare.
Speaking in Lagos during the association’s year-end engagement, ASCSN National President Shehu Muhammed criticized governors claiming to pay above the federally mandated minimum wage.
He described such statements as misleading, emphasizing that many workers, even at the lowest levels in public and private sectors, are already earning beyond these figures.
“Governors claiming to pay N70,000 or more are merely playing politics because there are no workers on the supposed lower levels, like level one, in most agencies.
Most drivers and cleaners are on higher levels, so such claims don’t align with reality,” Muhammed stated.
He further criticized the inconsistent implementation of the wage policy, noting that some states failed to follow the consequential adjustment process, which ensures proportional salary increases across all grade levels, up to level 17.
Without proper adjustments, workers at higher levels receive minimal increments, often as low as N1,000 or N2,000, undermining the policy’s intent.
Muhammed reaffirmed the association’s stance on the necessity of a living wage to reflect current economic realities.
He revealed plans to prepare for the next minimum wage negotiation by gathering input from various units across the country to advocate a fair and sustainable wage structure.
“The groundwork has begun. We’ve tasked our members at state and federal levels to engage workers and determine an appropriate minimum wage for the upcoming negotiation season,” he added.