Leadership / Nigeria: Edo State governor, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole has berated state governors refusing to pay the national minimum wage, saying that such governors are committing criminal offence.
Speaking during a public discourse organised by the Kukah Centre, in Abuja, yesterday, with the theme: “From Activism to Political Power: The Challenges of Democratic Governance in Nigeria,” Oshiomhole said that it is wrong for the governors who enjoy a fixed national emolument same way it was fixed for National Assembly lawmakers to now turn around that the national minimum wage should not be applicable to the states of the federation.
“What I questioned and which I don’t accept is that you cannot have a centralised system of compensation for executives, governors, commissioners and local government chairmen. Their pay is centrally determined and the economy can afford that. What Lagos State governor is receiving is what Edo State governor is receiving. If we have a national compensation, how can these governors turn around and question the wisdom of a national wage structures for workers.
“It is that selective application of fiscal federalism that I found extremely offensive and unacceptable. Even today I remain firm that we must maintain a national minimum wage and we must find ways to implement and adjust it to reflect the cost of living and it is the duty of government and employers to find the revenue to pay those they hired to work whether in private or government employed. Non-payment of wages is a criminal breach of contract whether in recession or prosperity,” Oshiomhole said.
He said that no one can change the situation through individual activism because the order that is meant to be changed was not due to the ignorance but due to those that benefits from the order and would not want to let go, and that they must therefore be engaged to change the order.
