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The Nigerian
Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress yesterday expressed
happiness over the signing of the N18,000 minimum wage into law by
President Goodluck Jonathan.

While briefing
journalists at the Presidential Villa, after a meeting with the
president, the NLC president, Abdulwaheed Omar, and his Trade Union
Congress (TUC) counterpart, Peter Esele, described the signing as
historic.

According to them,
the increase of the minimum wage from N7,000 to N18,000 would go a long
way to improve the welfare of workers in the country.

“We are very
excited,” Mr. Omar said, adding that they decided to meet with
President Jonathan to clarify the conflicting reports of the signing
into law of the minimum wage bill.

“Mr. President
himself confirmed that he has signed the bill to law. We are happy that
Mr. President has signed the minimum wage bill into law and the
minister of labour has assured us that a copy of the bill would be sent
to us,” he said.

“We are jubilating
over it and the next thing is implementation. We will try to ensure it
is fully implemented because as you are aware, that is usually the bone
of contention,” the NLC president said.

On the alleged
threat made by some states not to implement the N18,000 minimum wage,
Mr. Esele said the first achievement was the signing of the bill into
law, adding that the union will deal with the issue of defaulting
states when the time comes.

Mr. Jonathan
finally put to rest speculations of whether or not he has signed the
bill. Responding to concerns expressed by the leaders of the two labour
unions about the new minimum wage, the president said he had signed the
minimum wage bill into law, adding that, “ordinarily, such a sensitive
Bill should have attracted a ceremony with members of the labour
movement in attendance, but I did not want the tight schedule of the
election campaigns to delay the signing.”

Hope for successful elections

Speaking on the
national elections starting this weekend, he said the 2011 elections
will be different, because a lot of work had been done and each vote
cast would count.

“Before now, our
elections have been of questionable credibility, but we are determined
to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, so that we will be
accepted and take our rightful place in the international community,”
he stated.

Mr. Jonathan
condemned the violence that was unleashed in Akwa Ibom State and in
other parts of the country, and warned that the culture of impunity
which propels lawlessness, especially in the run-up and during the
elections, would not be tolerated from anyone.

He stated that
efforts were being made to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Bill was
passed into law during the current National Assembly, and drew
attention to the Memorandum Of Understanding recently signed by the
Ministry of Petroleum and foreign investors for the establishment of
two fertiliser plants, a refinery, petrochemical and ethanol plants,
all aimed at strengthening the economy and creating jobs in the
downstream sector of the oil industry.

The president said
Nigeria needs a generation that will make the extra sacrifice which
will take the country to a level equal to its contemporaries, and
appealed to the labour movement to be part of such a generation.