The Federal Government should not pay government officials less than N100,000 if it genuinely wants the masses to breathe, according to Shehu Gabam, National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party.
During his Sunday appearance as a guest on Politics Today on Channels Television, Gabam made the request.
This comes only a week after the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress went on a nationwide walkout to protest the newly raised energy rates and a higher minimum wage for workers.
However, after the labor leaders pledged to the Federal Government that they would reopen talks and come up with a new minimum wage within a week, the industrial action was put on hold for five days.
The FG, the Organized Private Sector, and Labour all agreed on N62,000 at the end of last Friday’s Tripartite Committee meetings, but Labour set its demand at N250,000.
However, Gabam argued that to prevent civil officials from undermining the system, the government would do itself a favor by agreeing to a fair wage that is higher than N100,000.
He said, “For me, what I think at this stage is that the government should do something above N100,000. It is reasonably okay. It makes a little bit of sense. People can breathe and go to work without thinking of sabotaging the institutions.
“You are paying civil servants and other private employees just N30,000. And then when you go to the market, there is nothing of the lowest you can get at the cost of N30,000.”
The leader of the SDP also chastised the governors of Nigeria for declaring that paying a minimum salary over N60,000 would not be financially viable.
This occurred along with his request to reassess the fuel removal subsidy program.
Gabam said, “Any serious governor that can put his priorities right can pay N60,000 comfortably,” adding that states could afford it provided ghost workers were removed from the system. Unfortunately, most of our issues now originate in the United States. The governors are causing a major portion of the issue.
He added, “They have to consider reviewing this subsidy. I’ve mentioned this severally, you can get it right with the subsidy rate the way it is. This government initiated this crisis by removing the fuel subsidy; naturally, they don’t need to be told that consequences will follow.
“What we expected is that by the time the government made up its mind to remove the fuel subsidy and the pains that would follow thereafter, the consumption rates, the supply rates, and the demand rates of the nation, no one can stand it,” he concluded.
