LAGOS, Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Increase Minimum Wage In 2016” By Martin Onovo.
The claim by APC’s Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State that the 2011 Minimum wage of Eighteen Thousand Naira (N18,000.00) is not sustainable is illogical and very vexatious to us as patriots. It must be stated clearly that without any ambiguity that only reckless and corrupt state governors particularly of the APC have difficulties with paying wages. Effective state governors have been paying as at when due.
Recently [after the 2015 general ‘elections’,] the APGA Anambra State government announced a general increase in wages in its public service.
The National Conscience Party [NCP] had promised during the 2015 campaigns for the general elections, to increase the minimum wage by decreasing the maximum wage while maintaining the size of the total wage bill. This would have compressed the inequality index by reducing the wage gap in the public service. It would also have reduced the pressure for corruption and boosted public service productivity. It would also have promoted a national ambience of social justice. The increase in its public service wages announced by the Anambra State Government is a confirmation of the very obvious feasibility of the simpler campaign promise of the National Conscience Party [NCP].
Corruption, waste, abuse of office and inefficiency in governance are what we must check in governance. Some specific measures we can take to check these include:
- Establishment of effective controls for the benefits and allowances of
political office holders. - Firm control of corruption in public office.
- Elimination of wastes in public service.
- Improvement of efficiency in public administration.
We must note that the Anambra State Government announced a general increase in wages and did not have to reduce any wages to achieve its increase. Anambra is in the ‘bottom-third’ of States in allocation from the ‘Federation Accounts’.
With the devaluation of the Naira, the inadequate minimum wage has painfully lost about twenty percent [20%] of its value. Therefore an immediate increase of 20% is justified to restore the value of the inadequate 2011 minimum wage.
Since even the 2011 minimum wage is clearly inadequate when compared to the minimum cost of living, it has become necessary to increase it to the level of a living wage sufficient to sustain one employee for a month. This can reduce the pressure for corruption and boost both morale and the productivity of public servants. State governments can easily afford a significant increase as confirmed by the APGA Anambra State Government. To achieve same the errant States may have to:
- Control the outrageous benefits of their political officials.
- Control corruption firmly.
- Eliminate wastes in governance.
- Improve efficiencies in governance.
The Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC] has rightly rejected the false and misleading claim of the APC Governor of Zamfara State, that the minimum wage is not sustainable. The NLC also called it a declaration of war against Nigerian workers. We agree with the NLC on this. This is a continuation of the vicious war against the pauperized Nigerian populace by a class of greedy and parasitic political office holders that have seized power illegitimately using, Corruption, Violence, Bribery, Rigging and Abuse of Office as weapons for manipulating the democratic process.
We recommend an immediate increase of about Eighty-five percent (85%) to the current minimum wage, to raise the level to the minimum standard required for the sustenance of an employee for one month and thereby, reduce the pressure for corruption, promote social justice, increase morale, improve the standard of living and boost the productivity of the workforce. This is immediately necessary to promote integrity, social justice, industrial peace, productivity and consequently national development.
Martin Onovo is an eminent consulting engineer. He was the National Conscience Party [NCP] 2015 Presidential Candidate.
