Shehu Gabam, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, has called on the Nigerian Government to set the minimum wage at a level exceeding N100,000 if they genuinely prioritise the welfare of the populace.
In an interview, Gabam insisted that the government must not offer anything below N100,000. This comes in the wake of the shutdown of the economy by the Organised Labour (comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress), who initiated a nationwide strike to demand an increase in the minimum wage and the reversal of recently hiked electricity tariffs.
The strike was temporarily suspended for five days following an agreement with the Nigerian Government to resume negotiations and reach a new minimum wage agreement within a week, as signed by the labour leaders.
Following the conclusion of meetings by the Tripartite Committee on Friday, both the Nigerian government and the Organised Private Sector agreed to a £62,000 minimum wage. However, Labour remained steadfast in their demand for £250,000.
Gabam weighed in on the matter, stating that the government should opt for a minimum wage that is reasonably higher than £100,000 to prevent disruption to the system.
He said, “For me, what I think at this stage is that the government should do something above N100,000. It is reasonably okay. It makes a little bit of sense. People can breathe, and people can go to work without thinking of sabotaging the institutions.“You are paying civil servants and other private employees just N30,000. And then when you go to the market, there is nothing of the lowest that you can get at the cost of N30,000.”
The SDP chief also chided Nigerian governors for announcing that payment of any minimum wage higher than N60,000 was not sustainable.
This was even as he appealed for a review of the fuel removal subsidy policy.
“Any serious governor that can put his priorities right can pay N60,000 comfortably,” Gabam insisted, noting that if ghost workers are purged from the system, states can pay it. The tragedy is that the majority of the problems we are having today are from the states. The governors are contributing largely to the problem.
He added, “They have to consider reviewing this subsidy. I’ve mentioned this severally, you can get it right with the rate of subsidy the way it is. This government initiated this crisis by removing the fuel subsidy and naturally, they don’t need to be told that there are consequences that will follow.
“What we expected is that by the time the government made up its mind to remove the fuel subsidy and the pains that would follow thereafter, the consumption rates, the supply rates, and the demand rates of the nation, no one can stand it,” he concluded.