Musings on new minimum wage

I humbly wish to first, introduce myself to you and then, also humbly request your kind consideration of printing promptly in your popular daily, my little bit on the National Minimum Wage issue. I have been reading your popular Daily from your first issue some twenty or so years ago to date and I’ve even […]

I humbly wish to first, introduce myself to you and then, also humbly request your kind consideration of printing promptly in your popular daily, my little bit on the National Minimum Wage issue.

I have been reading your popular Daily from your first issue some twenty or so years ago to date and I’ve even gotten some periodic copies bound for my own reference purposes. I have had occasional provocations to react to or comment on a good number of national issues through your Medium, but prevented by circumstances beyond control.

I served this Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as its first General Secretary from September, 1978 to December, 1985, initially on secondment from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, whilst lecturing there.

Accordingly, I was an active participant in the first outing of the struggle by Congress for Three Hundred Naira National Minimum Wage (NMW)

When we started, we had a criteria applied for determining the wage demanded.  I don’t think the criteria within which Labour determined the current demand has changed, today.

However, we are now seeing the struggle for Thirty Thousand Naira NMW within a Wage Earning Environment which includes individual earning Millions of Naira monthly.

A good number of questions on this matter had to crop up and as they might be of public interest, your popular medium might kindly help deliver.

On the millions of Naira paid to each member of the national assembly, what criterion was applied to arrive at that?

Although we all know that each one is getting millions monthly, if 3 million is taken as average, this demand by Labour of N30,000 is only one percent of three million.  Clearly this shows 1:100 income ratio prevails.

Considering that we Nigerians do have similar basic needs and do buy from the same markets, is this monthly 1:100 Income Ratio justified? Or is it justifiable?

As we all know, in our markets price-control is defied by supplier driven inflation of prices, which makes any wage increase laughable. Can the Govt please put in place effective price control measures on declaration of the new NMW?

Can the NASS offer to Nigerians the justification for allocating such huge share of income to themselves while most Nigerian Wage earners are wallowing in abject poverty?

With our official National Prayer including: “To build nation where peace and justice shall reign” – and with the above (1:100) income ratio, where are we in creating foundation for peace and justice to reign in our country?

What is it that the very high income earners particularly the National Assembly members, are doing that is 100 times more valuable than what the minimum wage earners are doing?

Under the circumstances with the “Change Mantra” in top gear in a democratic setting, demanding accountability and transparency while fighting corruption, Nigerians need to have clarification on the actual existing income ratio as well as the justification for that within the framework of our Constitutional provisions.

Aluta Continua!!! Thanks a lot while looking forward to positive responses.

Aliyu M. Dangiwa, [email protected]