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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The premises of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Mabushi, Abuja, were shut down at 10 am yesterday following a strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The two unions began an indefinite strike to pressure the government to implement the N615,500 minimum wage. The federal government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage was rejected, leading to the strike.
The unions argue that the proposed amount is insufficient, stating that it wouldn’t even cover the fuel cost for a minister’s convoy in a week. They consider the offer of N60,000 ($39) as a monthly salary to be grossly insensitive, especially when those who rigged elections are living in luxury with their families.
“Children are paid £102 monthly (N188k) in the UK just for being children. If you were working but your work stopped, Ireland pays €232 weekly as job seeker’s allowances. A month is €928 (N1.41m) for being jobless! That is the meaning of ‘distribution of commonwealth’. These are countries that do not have what Nigeria has in terms of natural resources. What they mostly have is good leadership and people-oriented policies.
Meanwhile, in these difficult times, apart from wardrobe allowances and other luxuries, our senators receive N1.2m monthly as newspaper allowances. Is this not demonic corruption?
You will never understand how wicked Nigerian rulers/ruiners are if you don’t travel abroad to normal countries with normal leaders. That is why Nigerians in the diaspora are angry at our compatriots back home. They have seen both sides of the world and they know that Nigeria is directly opposite of what happens in normal societies. Sadly, those back home seem to have conditioned themselves to the uncommon hardship. They only complain online and sing “na so we see am o. Na wetin we go do na?” A people that fight their activists and attack their co-sufferers!
They throw pittance at Nigerians like dogs in the name of palliatives. They publicize their God-forsaken palliatives as if they are doing you some special favour from public wealth,” a statement from union leaders noted.
