Adeyeye: Why Senate Committee is Yet to Meet on Minimum Wage

Adeyeye: Why Senate Committee is Yet to Meet on Minimum Wage

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The eight-man Ad-hoc Committee set up by the Senate to look into the National Minimum Wage Bill presented to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, has explained the reason for its inability to meet one week after it was constituted.

The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Sola Adeyeye, said their inability to meet was due to the involvement of most members in re-election campaigns.

Adeyeye, who regretted the inability of the committee to meet since its inauguration last week in an interview with THISDAY yesterday, said six members of the committee are currently busy in their senatorial districts canvassing for votes to return to the Senate.

Adeyeye representing Osun Central in the National Assembly, added that most of the committee members are contesting in the National Assembly election fixed for Saturday, February 16, saying it has been difficult to mobilise them for the required public hearing session on the bill.

The Senator who is the Senate Chief Whip emphasised, “I am not contesting for any election; but many of the committee members are contesting, and very busy with electioneering campaigns in their various senatorial districts, making it difficult for us to sit this week.’’

He said the committee will try all possible best “to have the sitting or public hearing next week in line with duration of time given for the assignment by the Senate.”

The Senate had in mandating the committee, gave it a two-week ultimatum to submit its report, which should be ready before Tuesday, February 19, which was fixed for the resumption of plenary.

The six members of the committee, who are busy with their return bids into the Senate in the coming elections are: Emmanuel Adokwe (PDP Nasarawa South); Sam Egwu (PDP Ebonyi North), and Shehu Sani ( PRP Kaduna Central).

Others are the Deputy Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena (APC Edo North); Adeola Olamilekan (APC Lagos West), Binta Masi Garba ( APC Adamawa North ) and Abu Ibrahim (APC Katsina South).

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