………. We are waiting for FG template before Implementation of New Minimum Wage……. Delta NLC
By Onomiguren Agbamu
Delta State Government has debunked speculations of receiving the 20 trucks of rice promised by the Federal Government to serve as palliative in cushioning the effect of subsidy removal.
The Secretary to Delta State Government, Hon. Kingsley Emu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Palliative Committee in the state, disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen, noting that such speculations and reports are not factual as state government is yet to receive a grain, not to talk of 20 trucks from the Federal Government.
Emu insisted that the only rice received from Federal Government was the 24 thousand bags of 25kg for which even the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security have validated and have since dispatched to all the 25-local government in the state.
He gave a clear prescription of how the quantity of the 24 thousand bags of the 25kg rice was distributed to the vulnerable across the 25 local government areas in the state explaining that “the state has a very robust structure of distribution of three layers with him as chairman and NLC, TUC, and other colleagues in Humanitarian, SEMA
At the local government level, he listed the coordinators who according to him are unpolitical and opinion leaders as; representatives of traditional rulers, LGC Chairmen who are not coordinators, the national council of women society, NGOs, CAN, PFN and NULGE where state government adopted the DSIEC 500 wards for deeper penetration.
“The ultimate delivery is at the local government level and the ward areas. And for deeper reach, we use the DSIEC 500 wards because we have 25 local government areas and every wards has 20 wards. Why did we do that? We did that for a deeper penetration”.
“At the ward level, CAN, PFN PGs, community leaders, physically challenged persons were also represented at the local government levels. We were able to differentiate between rural and urban wards to make some level of adjustment. “
“The federal government has talked about 20 trucks of rice, we are still expecting it until tomorrow, we have not even seen the grain, not a grain of these 20 trucks of rice has gotten to the state. The only thing we got was the 24 thousand of 25kg bags of rice by Rice Producer Association of Nigeria, RIPAN. it was actually supposed to be 50 thousand bags that was the first promise that they made, but we only got 24 thousand bags of 25kg of rice, they said the second trash will come when they are directed and we don’t have that yet.” He said
Also speaking on the new Minimum Wage, Emu noted that the committee as set up and directed by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, held a meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Joint Negotiation chairman alongside the Head of Civil Service, Commissioner for Finance, functioning PS for finance and Accountant General to put them on notice.
He added that first the meeting was to convey the Governor’s commitment to the Union welfare and dedication to deliver on the Implementation of the new Minimum Wage, “however, the NLC don’t also have any details of the new Minimum Wage as we speak, but they promised that as soon as they have the detailed and consequential adjustments, they will get back to the committee.”
In a separate development, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Delta chapter, Chief Goodluck Ofubrunku, said the template for the Implementation is still being worked out, adding that until it is done, he doesn’t want to rush into the Implementation in Delta state and do the wrong thing.
According to his statement “the consequential adjustment is not yet out, the template for Implementation is still being worked out, so, until it is done, I don’t want to rush into the Implementation in Delta state, and we end up doing the wrong thing”.
He continued, ” I always like getting it right. Even though we are happy that the state government wants to implement it, we want to be patient so that we can see the template, look at it very well before Implementation so that nobody will accuse the state government or labour leaders of short-changing workers. Because if tomorrow we agree on something that is outside the template, and the template comes and it is better than what we are getting they will say we have sold them out, and I don’t like such accusations. I want to do the right thing even if it means waiting some extra weeks, we will wait”
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