ESV Podar Johnson, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has called for uniformity in Nigeria’s minimum wage. Edo, 2 other states announce new minimum wage. According to him, different salary structures promote unhealthy competition in the workplace and affect the growth and development of the economy....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Recall that the two primary labour organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), presented a proposal of N615,000 minimum wage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led government.
But in a swift move, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state announced a new minimum wage of N70,000 for civil servants in the south-south state on Monday, April 29.
Two Nigerian state governors also responded to workers’ demands and increased their salaries.
Podar Johnson calls for unilateral minimum wage
Speaking exclusively to Legit via telephone chat, on Sunday, May 5, the former governorship aspirant in Plateau state, Podar Johnson, insisted there should be uniformity of workers’ salary across the three tiers of government.
Buttressing his point, the APC chieftain urged Nigerian governors to encourage wage equality, noting, “salary discrimination is the beginning of corruption in our country.”
Johnson said:
“Salary increases should have been a national issue cut across the three tiers of government. Honestly, salary discrimination is the beginning of corruption in our country.
“There should be a uniform salary structure that will encourage competition; come to think of it, as a Nigerian, you are contributing your quota to the growth of the economy, but the most disappointing issue is that you are at the same level but have different salaries.
“If I’m to advise, we should have the same salary structure but different allowances base on the services that one rendered. Imagine staying in the same area, paying the same transport to work and paying the same house rent, only to be paid a meagre salary; that, on its own discourages dignity to labour, because of discrimination.
“No wonder, the younger generation now choose the course to read base on the salary structure, that’s why our education is failing on daily basis, we should go back to sixties, it might bring back our loss glory.”
NLC speaks on payment of N615,000 minimum wage
Earlier, Legit reported that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, insisted that the the living wage for workers should be N615,000.
The president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this disclosure during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, May 1. He added that the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.
