Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said that both the federal and state governments have the ability to pay the minimum wage provided looted funds are recovered.

Falana made this statement in an interview with Channels Television, monitored by DAILY POST.

“The state governments that are saying they have no money to pay, the money is there.

“All they need, including the Federal Government, is to muster the political will to collect and recover money either looted or withheld from the Federation Account,” he added.

DAILY POST recalls that the organised labour and the Federal Government are yet to reach an agreement on the new minimum wage after the labour rejected the government’s N62,000 offer.

During the last meeting held by the Tripartite Committee on the New Minimum Wage last Friday in Abuja, labour reduced its demand to N250,000 from N494,000, while the Federal Government increased its offer from N60,000 to N62,000.

The proposed minimum wage may have to wait until 2 July because the National Assembly is on holiday.

During the interview, Falana asked the federal and state governments to muster the political will to pay the minimum wage.

Nigerian Govt, states can pay minimum wage with recovered loot – Falana