Tinubu Pays NiMet Staff 45-Month Minimum Wage Debt
The federal government has offset the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed to staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
The non-payment of the arrears, which date back to 2019, has often pitted NiMet management against staff of the agency and the labour unions.
In May of this year, the unions planned to embark on industrial action on Monday, May 20, 2024. However, following an intervention by the House Committee on Aviation Technology and their Senate counterpart, the unions suspended the strike action after an agreement was reached on Sunday, May 19, 2024, during a special session convened by the House Committee on Aviation Technology led by the Chairman, Rt. Hon. Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade, with NiMet management and representatives of the unions present.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for authorising the payment of the arrears.
“Mr. President has demonstrated once again that he is a worker-friendly president. The issue of the unpaid 45-month wage arrears predates this administration, but still, Mr. President has cleared the outstanding.
“I wish to thank the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, for the role he played. Also the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation Technology, Rt. Hon. Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade, and members of the Committee for their sacrifices and timely intervention. I wish to also thank the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and the members of the Committee. I thank all the others who played different roles in the process,” he said.
In a release dated August 12, 2024, and signed by Comrade Okechukwu Nwokoro, Secretary, NJAC, and Branch President of SSASCGOC, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the unions expressed their profound gratitude for the collective intervention in ensuring the payment of the outstanding minimum wage arrears owed to NiMet staff from 2019 to 2022.
“It said that “this significant action has greatly alleviated the financial challenges faced by our workforce and has renewed our hope and commitment to serving the nation with excellence”.
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