Following the rejection of Federal government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage by state governors, a Chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has declared that the governors should henceforth be paid based on their qualifications as contained in the Civil Service Salary Scale.
He described their rejection of the proposed N60,000 minimum wage as insensitive and wicked.
Ajadi said the governors were too hasty in their rejection of N60,000 minimum wage because the Labour Unions have not even agreed to the proposal.
Recall that the 36 state governors who make up the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have said that the ₦60,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government is not sustainable and cannot fly.
In a statement signed by the Acting Director of Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, Halima Ahmed noted that if allowed to fly, many states will use all their monthly allocations from the federation account to pay workers’ salaries.
The governors have, therefore, appealed to members of the tripartite committee to agree on a minimum wage that would be fair and sustainable.
However, Ajadi, in a statement made available to the media on Sunday said he was shocked at the reaction of the governors to the N60,000 proposal.
He contended that one of their members, the Edo State Governor, Dr Godwin Obaseki on his own volition has started paying N70,000 monthly minimum wage in his state, wondering why the other 35 governors are so self-centered and insensitive to the workers.
According to him, “I am totally shocked that the governors could come out to say that they cannot pay the proposed N60,000 Minimum Wage. That pronouncement by the governors showed that they were insensitive to the plight of workers and the masses. I see it as a wicked pronouncement.
“In the first instance, they were too hasty in their reactions, as the Labour Unions have not even agreed to the proposal.
“If the governors are serving the people as they usually claim, they should cut their salaries to N60,000 too.
“I will also suggest that the governors should be paid according to their qualifications. They should realise that the workers attend the same Market their wives and children attend.
“Since the removal of subsidy, the Federal Government has jacked up the monthly allocation to the states. What are the governors doing with the money? Part of the money should be used to pay the new minimum wage when agreed by the tripartite committee.
“President Bola Tinubu has severally warned the governors to make use of the increase in the monthly allocations to better the lots of their citizens. So one is shocked that the governors have the effrontery to reject a merely N60,000 proposal.
“The question we need to even ask is, what can N60,000 buy in the present state of economy? It can’t feed a worker for two weeks, talk less of their dependants.
“When finally there is an agreement on the new minimum wage, I urge the governors to be sincere and ensure the prompt payment in their states”.
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