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Bimbola Oyesola
Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday assured workers of his government’s committement to pay the N30,000 minimum wage.
The governor who was chairman at the seventh Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in Abuja said the state’s workers would not be undermined in the implementation of the new wage.
“In Edo State, we paid far above the last minimum wage. When others were paying N18,000, Edo was paying N25,000. We want to let our workers know that they will get what they deserve,” he said.
He, however, noted that the emphasis should not be on minimum wage, but improving the workers and their working environment to ensure productivity.
“N30,000 we all know cannot take workers home, so in Edo what we want to do is to ensure that our workers are well supported and able to be at their best.”
He reasoned that the theme of the conference” “Funding education, health, research institutions and other social services in a depressed economy: Challenges and prospects” was thought-provoking as time has come for Nigeria to think how to strengthen her institutions.
He stated that Nigeria did not need strong men, but institutions which must be well funded and charging Organised Labour to demand good governance from leaders.
The General Secretary of the union, Peters Adeyemi, who was a member of the National Joint Consultative Association (NJIC) on the new minimum wage challenged the governor to do more in terms of improving the workers welfare.
He said that all the governors knew that N30,000 is not enough for any workers, as it falls below 100 dollars.
“When we commenced negotiation it was over 100 dollars, but we all know it’s not up to a 100 dollars now. So, it is wickedness on the part of any governor to say they cannot pay N30,000. Rather they should block all the leakages, starve their dogs and anything they have to starve, stop flying around in private jets for them to fulfill their responsibility towards the workers.”
He said the union was monitoring procedures in the states on the ongoing negotiation on the consequential adjustment and will not hesitate to declare industrial action against any defaulting state.
