A non-governmental organization known as Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has demanded that President Bola Tinubu and all other political office holders in Nigeria be placed on the national minimum wage.
According to the organization, it is not fair to ask average Nigerians to make sacrifices for the country while the political elites feed large on the nation’s resources.
The group through its national coordinator, Michael Lenin also demanded the increase of the minimum wage up to N200,000 per month without retrenchment and an unemployment allowance for young people without a job.
YRC stated this while condemning the planned 114 percent pay rise for political office holders.
The group observed that Tinubu and all political officeholders actually need to take a pay cut because of the humongous salaries and allowances they already receive but the citizens have to battle with issues of fuel subsidy removal, currency devaluation, planned increase in electricity tariff and introduction of tuition fees in public higher institutions.
“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. President Tinubu cannot ask all Nigerians to tighten their belt and sacrifice while he continues to live the life of opulence associated with the office of the Presidency.
“If as the proponents of the increase in the salaries of political office holder have argued, President Tinubu is also affected by the difficult economic situation that has affected the livelihood of poor Nigerians then it is only logical that he does not earn more than the people he leads.
“It is unacceptable that, while President Tinubu and the first family is fed and clothed by the nation’s resources, the people he leads spend at least 85% of their monthly income on food consumption hardly leaving anything for clothing, shelter, relaxation and other necessities.
“It is for this reason that we of the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) demand that President Tinubu and all political office holders at all levels should be placed on the National Minimum Wage. We also demand an inflation-proof increase in the minimum wage up to N200, 000 per month without retrenchment and an unemployment allowance for young people without a job.
“Given the rapidly worsening economic situation, we urge the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to demand that negotiation over a review of the minimum wage should start immediately. Workers who have been reduced to paupers and have been walking to work since subsidy removal three weeks again cannot wait till February next year before receiving a pay rise.
“With planned introduction of tuition and increase in electricity tariff, workers living cost is bound to crash further. A pay rise for workers is a matter of life and death.
“In addition to rejection of the planned hike in school fees and electricity tariff, Labour must demand that government agrees to increase minimum wage to N200, 000 right now and adequately fund public education at all levels.
“However, it is important they must be prepared to call for actions like mass rallies, protests and strikes to push for these demands and ensure that such a new minimum wage regime is implemented not only by the federal government but also the state governments and private sector bosses, YRC submitted.
