It is unimaginable to see workers in Nigeria crying for minimum wage in this dispensation. For some the so called minimum wage is to make the poor exist along side with the rich: if they cannot afford three square meal per day, they can at least afford a triangle one. As the saying goes, “if you can not beat them you join them.” In the case of Civil Servants, we cannot beat them, because “they have the knife and the yam” to do as they wish, but we can frustrate their efforts. The majority have the key to the success of the minority, but the minority are using the key to lock the progress and development of the resources that will enhance the living condition of the majority. This is our case in Nigeria and it is shameful to comprehend.
The call for a strike by various unions to demand the implementation of the new minimum wage from 7,500 naira to 17,000 and now 18,000 naira is necessary and important because of the rising cost of living. This wage as approved by the Federal Government is quite inadequate and demoralising, because the wives of those who earn this meagre amount will buy from the same market with those earning over 450,000 naira per month. It is only in Nigeria, we see a primary six holder earning as much as 164 million Naira per year and when we calculate the so called minimum wage it is just 216,000 thousand Naira per year. Lord have mercy on your poor people in Nigeria.
It is painful that even the President is not addressing this injustice. In addressing the Nigerian workers at the start of the proposed strike action, the President said: "I believe labour will stay with us and we are also pleading with them that they should reason with us. On the issue of the wage, you know the federal government presently pays 17,000 and within this period, we raised it from 7500 to 17,000. Now they are talking about the minimum wage of 18,000, you will agree with me that 1000 difference for good people that have been friendly will not lead to any industrial action."
“If you become very strict on the issue of minimum wage as applied elsewhere in this country, I find it very difficult to believe that presently any federal government staff is even earning less than 18,000, because the minimum wage of 18,000 is level one step one, which is supposed to be for primary six holders and most of the federal government staff are either level three or level four and above..."
Thank God Mr. president knows that 18,000 is supposed to be for primary six holders, but the painful part of this is that, the president disclosed that due process has to be followed before the wage increase can be implemented, adding that the increase will not only affect the arms of government, but also the private sector. "If it was salary increase I don't think we will be discussing this matter, but this is minimum wage; because it is minimum wage it has to pass through all the sections of government as specified by law. It must go to the national assembly because the law must be made and the minimum wage does not affect only government employees and that is what Nigerians should know. Assuming federal, states and local government can pay, what of the private people who employ? Every employer of labour is affected, so if we now just go and impose a minimum wage on all Nigerians without due consultation, do you think small and medium scale enterprises can all meet up?"
Please save us this goodluck speech and address the problem. The fat salaries by The National assembly members, as well as the past presidents are enjoying benefit of the national treasury, even after filling their pockets. The fact is that Nigerian Politics is lucrative and politicians have turned themselves into instant millionaires just for being members of the National Assembly, paying themselves huge and unjustified salaries and allowances not commensurate with their very low productivity and without doing anything worthwhile for the country. My question is this: Do we have Legislators or “Legis-looters”, Executives members of the national assembly or “Execu-thieves”?
It is no wonder that Nigerians are yet to see the dividends of democracy. For the past 11 years democracy is still crawling because we have high class men as leaders and not servants. If nothing is done quickly to stem this looting surge, it may come to a time that there will be no money to run the government beyond paying the swollen salaries and allowances (looting in disguise) of our public office holders. Yes, some will say there is “Oil”, but remember “a talents that is not well appreciated and used well” will died a natural death.
Let us pause for a while and think of what these huge sums of money used in paying opportunists and never-do-well politicians can do if diverted to building power plants to rescue us from our power problem, fortifying our security system, funding railway and road construction, funding education, reviving agriculture, funding hospitals and dispensaries, developing the Niger Delta and even paying salaries of teachers and the pension entitlements of our pensioners.
In my own view this whole idea of warning the government about strike action cannot dry the tears of the poor in this country. Sometimes, we need to ask ourselves some questions about the reasons for going on strike as masses and also look into the agenda of those who call out for a strike action because of low income, instead of us to sit back after promissory note from the government and watch the jobless individuals in the national assembly without any iota of shame to silently increase their own salaries, for legislating nothing. There are numerous bills yet to face first readings that affect some Unions, if not all, yet we want to demonstrate our madness by calling for a strike on a matter where there is no argument. We should cry out over the waste, over the thievery, cheating and injustice under the guise of democracy.
It is a great injustice, because one cannot comprehend that for the House of Representatives, there are 360 of these parasites. Each gets 36 Million per quarter, which translates to 144 million per year per Member. The calculation of their drain on the Nigerian treasury is 360 X 144 million Naira X 4 years = 207,360,000,000 or 207 Billion Naira. Each member of the House of Representatives will take home 576 Million Naira after 4 years, laughing all the way to the banks. If this is the fate of a mere parasite what will be that of the virus (Senators).
Whatever it is, Nigeria cannot sustain or afford this waste, what I will say is: If the poor cannot lead, let them share in the riches of the nation, let the minimum wage be implemented to save our economy.
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