Minister of Labour says NYSC allowance increase couldn't have been possible when the new minimum wage has not been decided.
Following unconfirmed reports about NYSC allowance increase, the Federal Government of Nigeria has finally come out to clear the air on the issue.
For over three weeks, there have been rumours that the management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC has increased corps members allowance from N19,8000 to N48,900.
The rumour got serving corps members all over the country so excited that video of some of them celebrating the allowance increase surfaced on social media.
However, the Minister of Labour, Sen. Chris Ngige said reports about the increase in NYSC allowance is not true adding that the Federal Executive Council has not received any recommendation to that effect.
Ngige while addressing newsmen at Obosi, Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State said the news of the allowance increase couldn't have been possible when the new minimum wage has not been decided.
The Minister according to the Sun said that NYSC corps members stipend was always in the same sliding scale with the national minimum wage. In other words, there's no way NYSC allowance will increase without affecting the minimum wage.
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He said, “as a matter of fact, some ministries, Youth and Sports, myself, Women Affairs and Budget and Planning have been asked to make our input, and the allowances of the NYSC persons like I explained is on sliding scale. The same sliding scale with the national minimum wage except that it is a top up, what is called top up on the national minimum wage to make for special transport allowance for members of the NYSC.
“That is why today the national minimum wage is N18,000, and the top up for NYSC members is about N1,500 making it N19, 500.
“This is the allowance the Federal government will give to them, areas or persons and bodies, agencies where they do their primary assignments can also give them what they call special allowances and that is irrespective of this monthly stipend from the federal government.
“Their employers, primary assignment can and they have been doing so, they give them another top-up so that in some establishments you see them paying extra N10,000 to the NYSC persons some are as generous as even giving N20,000 about the same thing that they earn''.
There's still a plan to increase NYSC allowance
Although the Minister of Labour might have denied the rumour of NYSC allowance increase from N19,800 to N48,900, this does not take away the fact that there's a plan to increase the allowance.
Ngige while speaking to journalists said, “for now there is no figure before us and as a matter of facts the last Federal Executive Council had mandated the Ministers of Youths to liaise with the Director General of the NYSC so that he can be brought on board for us to work as a team.”
Earlier in August, The Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Suleiman Kazaure announced that the Federal Government has already started the review of the NYSC corps members' allowance.
Kazaure said the NYSC received a letter from the Presidency through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development that the process to review the allowance of corps members had started.
The DG added that the Presidency also copied the Ministry of Finance in the letter.
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