Fred Itua, Abuja
The minimum wage bill forwarded to the Senate in January by President Muhammadu Buhari 5has suffered a fresh setback in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly.
The new National Minimum Wage Bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives, is yet to go for a public hearing in the Senate. The Bill had already passed second reading in the Senate, but a public hearing is yet to be conducted by the ad hoc committee constituted by the leadership of the red chamber.
There are fears in the National Assembly that President Buhari may not accept the latest proposed increment of the wage from N27,000 to N30,000 by the House of Representatives. If the president rejects the bill and it is sent back to the National Assembly, the parliament may run out of time to effect the corrections and get the assent of the president before the expiration of the current 8th Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Senate has adjourned sitting till Tuesday, 12th of March. It adjourned over its inability to form a quorum.
Moving the motion for an adjournment, Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said many lawmakers were yet to know their fates, as some election results were yet to be announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).