The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly condemned governors who are resisting the proposed increase in the minimum wage for workers in the country. According to the NLC spokesperson, Comrade Benson Upah, these governors are prioritizing their interests over the welfare of workers, who are the backbone of the economy.
Upah accused the governors of selfishness, pointing out that some states have not even paid the current minimum wage of N30,000, while others like Lagos and Edo have recently started paying N70,000. He emphasized that the proposed increase to N60,000 is a necessity, not a pleasure and that the capacity to pay a reasonable national minimum wage is not dependent on surplus resources but on the necessity to do the right thing.
The NLC spokesperson also reacted to the statement made by George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who claimed that he couldn’t pay each of his four drivers N100,000 monthly in light of the new minimum wage. Upah described Akume’s statement as unfortunate and accused him of instigating governors to oppose the new minimum wage.
In a scathing remark, Upah said, “Those who claim they cannot afford to pay the minimum wage can’t even give such money to their side chicks; they give them more than that.” This statement highlights the perceived hypocrisy of governors who claim they cannot afford to pay workers a decent wage but are willing to spend lavishly on personal indulgences.
The NLC’s stance on the minimum wage increase has sparked a heated debate in the country, with many workers and labor unions supporting the proposed increase and governors and government officials opposing it. The outcome of this debate will have significant implications for workers’ welfare and the economy as a whole.
