Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has called on the Federal Government to address the issue of the minimum wage, noting that no Nigerian worker can survive on less than N100,000 given the current economic situation in the country.
Sani stated this while discussing the ongoing minimum wage controversy between organized Labour and the federal government in an interview with Arise TV.
The former lawmaker maintained that the government had the resources to pay a reasonable minimum wage, adding that a living wage for the labourers was not a bad idea.
He said, “I don’t know how a Nigerian can survive with less than N100,000. If you break down what the government is offering, N45,000–48,000, you will see how unrealistic it is by the time you factor in many things. The government should consider labour’s position.
“It is one thing to agree to increase the minimum wage, followed by the capacity to pay.” Let us not forget that in the last few years, the government has been finding it difficult to even pay for the ones that they already have on paper, so how this could be reflected should be considered.
“But from what we have learned since the withdrawal of subsidies, the government has more money, and there’s no better way to effectively and productively spend it than to increase the minimum wage of Nigerian workers to a reasonable point where they can adequately take care of their families.
“Economic reforms are taking place in this country; there are consequences for the reforms. They are supposed to be sacrifices, but they should be across the board.
“Workers are seeing that money is coming in trillions; they want their own share. When a nation subsidises, it makes more value for wages, but when they are removed, you have to pay for it.”
