AGENE GODWIN, Benin
The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called on the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to advise state governors on the need to reduce the cost of governance by cutting down on what it describes as “unnecessary spending”.
Mr Emmanuel Ademokun, state chairman NLC stated this while fielding questions from newsmen over the pronouncement by the NGF that payment of the N18, 000 minimum wage was no longer visible.
Comrade Ademokun who described the NGF pronouncement as an “Evil Act”, noted that it goes to show that the governors have never been sympathetic of the plight of Nigerian workers.
He said “It is sad that even when the workers have been groaning under the present economy realistic and asking for a better pay, the NGF can even mute the idea of cutting down on the wage of workers that is now grossly inadequate.
“Like i have said and will say again, the pronouncement is not only wicked but an evil act. The N18, 000 minimum wage has legal backing and the NGF cannot and do not have the legal backing to effect changes.
“I am however happy that some of the governors have backed out of the pronouncement. They have seen that it is anti labour and inhuman for such pronouncement to have been made in the first instance.
“Should others go ahead to effect changes in the N18, 000 minimum wage or even retrench workers over it, we will down tools and mobilize the entire work force to shoot the state or country down as the case may be,” he posited.
Ademokun who said was proposed by law, a new minimum age was long overdue; noted that a minimum wage should be reviewed every four years.
According to him, “We were only being sympathetic to the new administration. We were actually waiting for the new government to settle down and have in place, minister but the call by the governor forum woke us up from our slumber.
“The N18, 000 minimum wage is no longer realistic in view of the current prevailing economic reality.
“I am however happy that the NLC/TUC have already worked out a new minimum wage of above N50, 000 and presented same to the minister of labour.
“You will recall that when the n18, 000 wage was being implemented, a dollar was less than N100, but now, a dollar goes for above N200.
“It is sad that Nigerian workers were made to remain at the same minimum wage of N18, 000 for five years without review.
“The challenge of the country or states is not that of payment of salaries but that of mismanagement.
“Our leaders are simply lazy to explore other avenue of revenue generation; most of them rely solely on federal allocation and even mismanage what they get from the federal government.
“I will also urge some of these governors to reduce their security votes, contract inflation, frivolous allowances and unnecessary spending. They should look inward to see how they can reduce on their cost of governance.”
