Nigeria can pay living wage, says Oshiomhole

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade
Adams Oshiomhole said yesterday that Nigeria can afford living wage
for workers.

He said non payment of salaries by governors creates a viscious
circle leading to low production and eventual loss of jobs.

Oshiomhole said as a governor, he told his colleagues that
payment of salaries was no burden, but a means of enhancing the
development potential of the state, adding that the country’s major
problem is stealing of public resources in the name or salary
payment.

The former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president spoke on a
television programme.

He said: “My views are clear, that payment of wages is not an
act of kindness for an employer to pay the employees’ wages at the
end of the month… Even the Holy Bible says that the laborer is
entitled to its wages.

“I think, again, this is where President Buhari stands out
clearly. He has publicly asked public sector employers; how do you
sleep when you have not paid your employers for one year. But he
did not stop at lamenting it, he went on to provide the much-
talked about bailout fund and said, ‘please use this money to pay
your workers and pay pension arears.

“And even the deductions from states that was done under the PDP
in the name of settling our foreign debts, they went into state
treasury and they over deducted; that was done under the PDP. But
under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, even inspite of the
huge financial challenges that he faces, decided that in order to
assist the states to meet up with their social obligations, to
begin to pay what is now referred to as Paris Club refund.

“He has done that two, three instalments and each time the
governors are told that you must use this money, among other things
to settle pension arrears and be up to date in the payment of
salaries.

“But I am very proud that this President has rich conscience, he
recognises that the Nigerian worker deserves his wages and that is
why he has publicly lamented that there are governors who have not
paid salaries as at when due, whether they are PDP or APC, it is
immaterial. And in seeking to deal with it he has also provided
support across party divide and I think that is statesmanship at
its best.

“As for my views on the minimum wage, I tried to deal with it as
a governor. I told my colleagues then that wage is not a burden in
the society. In economics, when people work and get paid,
purchasing power is enhanced and because purchasing power is
enhanced producers will respond to that by seeking to produce more
goods and services. And in the process they will recruit more
hands.

“. My being in government or now chairman of a party cannot
change what I believe in.

“The real problem in the public sector is money being stolen in
the name of salaries, I find it embarrassing when we talk about
ghost workers. And I ask the question, who counts ghosts. It is
only in Nigeria that ghosts are known.”

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