Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the N70,000 new minimum wage approved for workers by President Bola Tinubu, describing the pay as grossly inadequate to meet up workers’ basic needs of workers like transportation, food, and housing. The former President accused labour leaders of betraying workers by prioritizing personal interests over collective welfare.
“That is the situation in Nigeria in the third decade of the 21st century.
“The minimum wage does not even cover transportation costs for some workers, let alone food, housing, and family upkeep,” Obasanjo wrote in his newly released book, “Nigeria: Past and Future”.
In Chapter 17 of the book, the former Nigerian leader accused labour leader of neglecting leadership for pursuing personal interests.
“Workers need more attention than they are getting. It is their right, and they have been denied it for too long. They have become victims of those meant to protect their interests. Obasanjo added.
“How did it happen that a trade union leader, while in office, was negotiating with a political party to be adopted as a gubernatorial candidate?
According to Obasanjo, “Because of their political ambitions, most union leaders are ineffective compared to the founding fathers’ expectations.
“The workers thereby become victims of selfish leaders who use their positions to achieve political heights.
“Rather than negotiate in the interest of the workers, they do sabre-rattling and they are called into the room and money in large amounts is stuffed into their hands and they keep quiet.
“That has been the case since 2015. And, if anything, it is going from bad to worse.”
Obasanjo also criticised government officials who openly admitted to paying off labour leaders to stop agitation.
“How do we explain a senior official close to the President saying, ‘We have paid them to keep quiet and stop agitating’?
“What contributions are such labour leaders and their unions making to the country’s progress? You do not get the best from a frustrated and depressed worker.”
While acknowledging any Nigerian has the right to pursue their political ambition, however, he argued that it was unethical for labour leaders to use their unions as platforms for political advancement, as it creates a conflict of interest.
Obasanjo advocated for a new law that will requiring labour leaders to wait for at least five years after leaving office before participating in politics.
On July 29, 2024, Tinubu signed the N70,000 minimum wage into law after negotiations with organised labour and the private sector were finalized on July 18, 2024.
This concluded months-long talks in which Tinubu reduced labour’s initial N250,000/month demand to N70,000/month.
Before this, the country’s minimum wage stood at N33,000, signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18, 2019.PUNCH