Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka has called for equal treatment across all sectors, including governors and members of the National Assembly, following the Nigerian government‘s proposed N62,000 minimum wage.
The Catholic Priest, speaking in an interview on Saturday, expressed concern over the secrecy surrounding the salaries of government officials, noting the potential for public discontent and unrest if inequality persists in the country.
Mbaka said the government’s proposed N62,000 minimum wage for workers should also apply to governors and members of the national assembly.
He warned of the possibility of civil unrest if the grievances of the labour force, which recently relaxed its strike action pending negotiations on the new minimum wage, are not addressed promptly and comprehensively.
Mbaka emphasised the need for fair compensation for all workers, particularly those in essential services such as teachers, nurses, and civil servants, whose contributions are vital to society.
“We can push these poor Nigerians to the point of rebellion. That is my fear. All of us were in Lagos that day, we couldn’t come back.
“Just like a joke the labour people entered into the airport and stopped every operation and if this happen again it might tantamount to what nobody dreams or what we dream but out of fear we cannot release to the public.
“If we decide to give labour N60,000 or N62,000, why not generalise it to the House of Assembly members, senatorial members, House of Representative members, and governors?
”All of them are civil servants. So, are the others slaves? I cannot imagine why somebody can be amassing billions and billions as sitting allowance, wardrobe allowance, newspaper allowance, vehicle allowance and what they call suffering allowance,” he stated.
News Central reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) initiated a nationwide strike on Monday, June 3, to advocate for their minimum wage demands and protest against the increase in electricity tariffs.
However, the strike was called off on Tuesday, June 4, following government assurances of a substantial increase in the minimum wage.
During the recent tripartite committee meeting, the government proposed a minimum wage of N62,000, whereas organised labour maintained its stance at N250,000.
In a parallel development, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum faced criticism for rejecting the previous minimum wage of N60,000, citing concerns over its affordability and sustainability.
