FG Pays NiMet Staff Outstanding 45-month Minimum Wage Arrears

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The federal government yesterday, finally paid the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

Non-payment of the arrears, which dated back to 2019, had often pitted NiMet management against the staff of the agency and the labour unions.

In May this year, the unions had 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 Chairman, Rt. Hon. Abiodun Isiaq Akinlade, with NiMet management and representatives of the unions present.

 The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. 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. We expect that staff and the unions will show Mr. President appreciation by working hard and staying focused to ensure that NiMet continues to achieve its mandate.”

Staff of NiMet, through the NiMet Unions Joint Action Committee (NJAC) thanked the President, Keyamo and the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Aviation as well as Anosike.

 In a release dated August 12, 2024, and signed by Comrade Okechukwu Nwokoro, Secretary NJAC and Branch President of SSASCGOC, NiMet, the unions expressed profound gratitude for the collective intervention in ensuring the payment of the outstanding minimum wage arrears owed to NiMet staff from 2019 to 2022.