By umar usman Duguri.
The two powerful governors from the northeastern Nigerian Governor Bala Mohamed and Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, move again to serve and support civil servants in their states. This was made known to newsmen penultimate Thursday in Adamawa state in a joined meeting with the members of the organize national labor and their state’s counterparts which is in line with ongoing discussions going across the country after the removal fuel subsidy.
Firstly, In his speech, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State who spoke on behalf of the northeast governors said the clamor for the review of wages has become legitimate in view of the realities of our time.
He noted that Nigeria’s are going through a lot of hardship occasioned by a crippling inflation, depreciation of naira and dearth of productivity.
Further making a case for the upward review of the minimum wage, Bala noted that the “hardship Nigerians are facing is tangible” urging all leaders across board not to relent in offering the best way out of the quagmire.
He further noted that in reviewing the minimum wage, the organized labour should also identify with the enormous challenges of governance which is saddled with a number of responsibilities that need its immediate intervention urging all the stakeholders to look at the multi-dimensional responsibilities of governments while making their inputs.
Bala thanked president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for agreeing to set up the tripartite committee which is a response to the need for him to carry all people especially civil servants along in the wake of petrol subsidy removal.
Also re-echoing the position of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the host Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri said the workers clamor for more pay is cogent, logical and legitimate in view of the current economic realities in the land.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who was represented by his deputy, Professor Kelatapwa Farauta reaffirmed the commitment of his government to continue to champion the rights of the workers vis a vis repositions the civil service as the engine room of the government.
She noted that while the government is keen to increase the minimum wage, workers should also understand that the state government is facing other key challenges including facilitation of infrastructural development across the state and other sundry responsibilities urging the workers to be considerate in their demands.
A number of states while presenting their position papers proposed 50 percent increase while others proposed 100 percent pay rise.
But in their various presentations, the organized labour rejected the offer demanding a pay rise as big as N500,000 saying that is the least amount a worker should be given considering the realities of our economic situation.
On his part the NLC President of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero who is the chairman of the public hearing in North East decried the suffering in the land urging governors not to only pay minimum wage but pay a living wage that can sustain families.
He noted that the token being given by the government currently, “is starvation wage” as it can’t fund the most basic needs of families.
Ajaero noted that what is needed between the labor and government is a consensus putting into consideration the high cost of living, hunger and rising inflation which nixed the income of families into nothingness.
He also challenged the tripartite committee to go out to the markets and conduct a “market hearing” so that they can be abreast of the real challenges facing the common man in terms of his purchasing power so that most appropriate decision capturing market realities could be arrived.
Ajaero also told stakeholders to remain steadfast and embrace each other’s demands as the public hearing did not approximate to decision making process adding that it is a platform for data collection and opinion of stakeholders.
Pundits believes that, the meeting of the six northeastern governors with the leadership of the organized labor is a most needed welcome development where serious leaders open and register their thought and plans to complement the issues at stake for good.
A civil servant of Adamawa state who prefer anonymity says, “already Adamawa state governor has carried his workers along since his first victor at the time of recession and other dwindling economic challenges initiated and implemented various schemes to support workers, therefore, we are confident on the governor and his steadfastness.
