Follow Us on Google
By Lukman Olabiyi
The recent surprise announcement by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on pay rise for public servants in the state has generated ripples from within and outside the state. While some have commended him, others said the governor’s action was a political gimmick.
Sanwo-Olu had on October 4 broken the news on pay rise to the civil servants when he paid a surprise visit to the State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.
The move, according to Sanwo-Olu, is to cushion the effects of inflation, high prices of commodities and rising cost of living being experienced across the globe.
But since the announcement was made, it has continued to generate reactions from different quarters, especially from right activists, trade unions and others.
Many commended the governor for being considerate and also tasked the Federal Government and other state governors to emulate Sanwo-Olu, while some believed that it was a political gimmick to woo the civil servants in the state to his side for the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
In his reaction, former Senator and rights activist from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani.
took to his Twitter handle to praise Sanwo-Olu. He said the proposed salary increase for Lagos civil servants by the governor was commendable and also implored other states in the country to emulate the gesture.
“The proposed salary increase for Lagos civil servants, as announced by the Lagos Governor is commendable. Other states should emulate this gesture. Election season is usually full of goodies.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman in the state, Ms Funmi Sessi commended the Lagos State Government for the planned salary increase. ment for workers in the state’s public service.
“The announcement came at the right time. If we have to look at the motive behind the increment, it is a well-thought out planned increase. In the agreement that we signed during the 2016 new minimum wage, it was stated that after three years we will review the wage.
“However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not do anything, yet, after COVID-19, we could see the escalation of everything.”
Similarly, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) said it was throwing their weight behind the Governor Sanwo-Olu’s re-election bid for the kind gesture.
In a message delivered to the governor on World Teacher’s Day, NUT National President, Audu Titus Amba, sent a note of appreciation to Sanwo-Olu on behalf of Lagos teachers, stressing that Lagos Government had lifted the teaching profession and set enviable standards in the state.
Rights activist and legal practitioner, Kabir Akingbolu said: “It is a highly commendable gesture for which Governor Sanwo-Olu ought to be appreciated and praised. This is because the gesture seems to be in tandem with the economic reality and factual situation of things in the country, as the N30,000 minimum wage is no longer of any utility value.”
Also, the convener of the Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), Adewale Adeoye commended Lagos State Government, and also urged other state governors to emulate Governor Sanwo-Olu.
Adeoye said: “I think Lagos has set a good example. Lagos is one of the oldest states in Nigeria, having been created since 1967. It has the highest GDP in Nigeria, almost at par with that of Ghana. Lagos has also been quite creative in raising its IGR. I think other states should learn from what Lagos has done. They need to look at their own objective economic reality. If they can pay, there is nothing bad. But I won’t encourage poor states to copy Lagos automatically. They have to operate within the context of their own capacity.”
On the allegation that the governor might be using the salary increment as political gimmicks for re-election, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso said nothing could be farther from the truth.
The commissioner, in an interview, said such insinuations were baseless, considering the fact that the state, which had been governed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its predecessors since the return of civil rule in the country, has been setting the pace for others to follow.
Omotoso argued that no matter the percentage of the increment, anyone putting more money in people’s pocket is doing such people a whole lot of good.
