By Evang Adesegun Osibanjo
I wonder what the Furore generated by the Labour Union’s demand for a new Minimum monthly wage pay is all about when we’re in an Economy run by the dictates of International benchmark.
From time immemorial in Nigeria, Fuel prices have always been the driver and determinant of the prices of all other commodities which also impacts our daily cost of living.
I made out time to make this explanation so we can understand that whatever happens to the price of Fuel happens to the prices of all commodities and creates a ripple effect on every aspect of our lives.
As of today, Fuel with its ripple effects & Electricity now run on International benchmarks, which means our daily lives run on the same. The simple implication is that the International Minimum monthly wage standard of US$ 1,218=₦1,802,640.000 must apply.
Labour should make very simple demands:
1) To request that International benchmarking be applied to Minimum wage or
2) Request the Federal Government to create a unified National Salary Structure to accommodate Politicians, Civil servants, Organised Private sector and most importantly Pensioners (Public & Private) on the same scale to eliminate the
Humongous pay of Politicians and place all on the same Pedestal so that we all bear the brunt of the International
benchmarking together.
The Humongous pay of Politicians shields them from this Brunt, let’s all bear it together and stop making undue Sacrificial demands from the masses.
Nigeria is running the type of Democracy and Government administration it cannot afford. We need to develop our Home-grown type of Government based on the Traditional institutions of the pre-colonial era.
Check the Government style of the fastest-growing Economy in the World, China. It is not a Democracy.
Who says it’s the Western-styled Democracy that we need in Nigeria???