Cut down cost of governance to pay minimum wage, Catholic bishop to Tinubu

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has expressed displeasure over the N62, 000 minimum wage offer by the Federal Government of Nigeria, stressing that N100, 000 is not enough to meet the basic needs of Nigerian workers.

Bishop Ezeokafor, who stated this in an interview monitored by our reporter in Awka, yesterday, noted that he was not happy with what he described as the back and forth debate between the FG and the organised labour, saying the debate now looks  like something that could never be resolved.

He predicted that there could be a revolution in the country if the government fails to cut down the cost of governance in Nigeria and accommodate the welfare and interest of the workers and the suffering masses.

“When I hear people say that if the government starts paying N62, 000 it cannot sustain it, I think such people may be selfish. If they are looking for where to source the money from, they should slash the National Assembly members’ jumbo salaries, the Governors’ and the Federal Government’s salaries and emoluments itself. Cut down the cost of governance. Use the money to settle workers and poor Nigerians.

“It is unfortunate to hear about the debates. They go through stages. They met and proposed N30, 000; then N48, 000 and from there to N62, 000. To me, N100, 000 is not even enough, looking at how some people siphon money meant for every Nigerian. Watching how the national cake is being shared by these people, you’ll shudder.

“What extra job are they doing to warrant such jumbo salaries? Labour should tell them that they can pay the money. Let them cut down the cost of running the government. You see somebody debating paying N62, 000 while they are going home with N30 million monthly. If the leaders are sincere, they should reduce the money they are sharing to themselves. If not, there could be a revolution.

“It is a question of living in a very big blessed country and at the same time the workers and masses are suffering because some individuals are taking home what belongs to the entire society, leaving the workers and the public to gnashing their teeth.”

“Let us look at the N62,000 proposal. From it, someone will take care of his health, transportation, accommodation, feeding and everything about life per month, and one month is 30 days on the average. It means N1, 000 per day and you go to the market, you will see how it is going and you go to buy drugs, the same thing, and if somebody is earning this type of money, that is the N62, 000, I’m not talking about the N30,000 that is in vogue.

“Will that person ever be able to have a roof over his head? Building a simple house, maybe a two-bedroom bungalow is not possible. Yet, they see it as too much to be paid to the people. I do not believe that we are telling ourselves the truth. Let us be honest, especially those in government, because if we do not take our time, if we do not care, if we do not do what we are supposed to do, we may end up putting this country into serious chaos.

“There is a saying that a hungry man is an angry man. People are hungry and lack basic things. Nigeria is so blessed with natural resources. Take for example petroleum alone; what comes out from it will serve Nigeria, but unfortunately, some people are putting things into their pockets alone and they consider it as their birthright at the expense of the members of the Nigerian society” he said.