On Thursday night, the Labour Party hierarchy offered conflicting opinions on the rumored proposal of presidential candidate Peter Obi to raise the minimum salary from N30,000 to N100,000 if elected.
When Obi announced his campaign plan via his official Twitter handle, he elevated the hopes of many Nigerians, particularly the working class.
The release of the 72-page manifesto titled “It’s Possible: Our Pact with Nigerians” was marred by conjecture, internal wrangling among LP members, and the dismissal of his campaign’s Director General, Doyin Okupe.
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While the drama of accusations and counter-accusations surrounded Okupe’s dismissal, a high-ranking member of the party declared on Thursday that if Okupe wins the 2023 presidential election, he will raise the minimum pay of workers from the current N30,000 to over N100,000.
Ayo Olorunfemi, the LP’s Deputy National Chairman, appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday and told the presenter that they intend to review the new minimum salary to between N80,000 and N100,000.
He said, “The party is eyeing N80,000 to N100,000. But it also depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500 to N3,000 per day, which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour.
“When you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.”
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Yunusa Tanko, spokeswoman for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, agreed with him, telling our correspondent that paying employees N30,000 as a salary is a disgrace to any genuine government.
While stating that the LP presidential candidate’s objective is for workers to be able to live comfortably, Tanko indicated that they are determined to remedy some wrongs, particularly the persisting problem with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“It is part of our plan to jack up the issue of payment of salaries. Remember that the majority of Nigeria Labour Congress members also belong to the party. Therefore, they will help to facilitate and determine the new minimum wage in the presidential quest of Peter Obi.
“As a Labour man, these areas are positions we are considering seriously in our campaign proposal. These are some of the things that will also dovetail into the issue of ASUU when the union is supposed to be fully remunerated according to their workforce.
“I watched the issue myself and can allude to the fact that what we are trying to do is to make workers more comfortable in their duties. After all, we all go to the same markets. But you cannot justify them being paid N30,000 as salary when they cannot take care of one bag of rice. It is very insulting,” he stated.
Under Obi -LP, Minimum Wage Might Be N80,000
When approached, the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, declined to comment on the matter.
“Please give me some time,” he said. I’ll get back to you.”
He was yet to respond to his deputy’s N100,000 minimum wage proposal, which was publicized on national television at the time of reporting this story.
In response to his statement, the LP National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, chastised Olorunfemi, stating he lacks locus standi to speak on behalf of the flag bearer.
“He is not competent to speak or make such claim. Such statement can only come from the mouth of the presidential candidate. Olorunfemi wasn’t directed to speak to that effect. Wherever he picked the information, we don’t know.
“We know Mr Peter Obi is not a frivolous person. There was no way he could just issue a random statement that he will increase minimum wage from N30,000 to N100,000.
“Don’t forget that he is also a Senatorial candidate in Ondo. Probably, he is saying that in his own capacity pending when he enters the Senate. Maybe, by then, he will able to work towards increasing it to that level.”
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