HEADLINENEWS.NEWS Correspondent gathered that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government has finally paid the outstanding 45-month minimum wage arrears owed to staff of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
This was revealed in a statement dated August 12, 2024, and signed by the Secretary of the NiMet Unions Joint Action Committee, Okechukwu Nwokoro, on Monday.
The unpaid arrears, which date back to 2019 – during ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration – had been a source of tension between NiMet management and its staff, leading to frequent clashes with labour unions.
Earlier this year, the situation nearly escalated into industrial action, as the unions had planned to go on strike on Monday, May 20, 2024. However, the strike was averted at the last minute following an intervention by the House Committee on Aviation Technology and their Senate counterpart.
An agreement was reached on Sunday, May 19, 2024, during a special session convened by the House Committee on Aviation Technology, led by Chairman, Abiodun Akinlade, with NiMet management and union representatives in attendance.
The statement said the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, expressed his gratitude to Tinubu for authorising the payment of the arrears.