THE Nigerian government has ordered immediate payment of the approved minimum wage to end a public sector strike in 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states, a union leader said, according to reports on Friday. Sylvester Ogbeifun, a local chairman of the main trades union federation, the Nigeria Labour Congress, said the office of the chief of general staff has directed the affected states to pay. He did not, however, indicate when the directive was given. Military ruler General Abdulsalami Abubakar last September announced an increase in the minimum monthly salary to $58-dollars for public sector workers. But he back-pedalled in December, saying that because of sliding oil prices the government could not afford the higher bill.