Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has asked governors across the country to reduce their salaries to 60,000 if they are genuinely committed to serving their people in response to the state governors’ rejection on the new proposed minimum wage.
Oguntoyinbo made this statement in response to the state governors’ rejection of the Federal Government’s proposed new monthly minimum wage of N60,000.
The Federal Government had proposed N60,000 as the new minimum wage for workers nationwide, but this proposal was rejected by the governors under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
The NGF, through a statement by Acting Director of Media Affairs and Public Relations, Halima Ahmed, argued that many states would have to allocate all their monthly funds from the Federation Account to pay workers’ salaries if the proposal was accepted.
In his reaction, Oguntoyinbo described the governors’ rejection of the proposed N60,000 minimum wage as insensitive and wicked.
He criticized the governors for being too hasty in their decision, noting that the Labour Unions had not yet agreed to the proposal.
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Oguntoyinbo also called on the members of the tripartite committee to agree on a minimum wage that is both fair and sustainable. He expressed shock at the governors’ response, highlighting that the Edo State Governor, Dr. Godwin Obaseki, had already voluntarily started paying a N70,000 monthly minimum wage in his state.
In a statement made available to Daily Post on Sunday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Oguntoyinbo urged the governors to cut their own salaries to N60,000 if they are truly dedicated to serving their people.
“I am totally shocked that the governors could come out to say that they cannot pay the proposed N60,000 minimum Wage. That pronouncement by the governors showed that they are insensitive to the plight workers and the masses. I see it as a wicked pronouncement.
“In the first instance, they were too hasty in their reactions, as the Labour Unions have not even agreed to the proposal. If the governors are serving the people as they usually claim, they should cut their own salaries to N60,000 too. I will also suggest that the governors should be paid according to their qualifications. They should realise that the workers attend the same market their wives and children attended.
“Since the removal of subsidy, the Federal Government has jacked up the monthly allocation to the states. What are the governors doing with the money. Part of the money should be used to pay the new minimum wage when agreed by the tripartite committee.
Bola Tinubu has severally warned the governors to make use of the increase in the monthly allocations to better the lots of their citizens. So one is shocked that the governors have the effrontery to reject a merely N60,000 proposal.
“The question we need to even ask is, what can N60,000 buy in the present state of economy. It can’t feed a worker for two weeks, talk less of their dependants. When finally there is an agreement on the new minimum wage, I urge the governors to be sincere and ensure the prompt payment in their states.”
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