From TCNEWS
The 14th biennial mother’s union conference of Anglican communion, Diocese of Umuahia has advised the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to give a second look at its insistence on a new minimum wage of over N400,000 as such a demand does not seem realistic.
The President of the women ministry, Mrs Gospel Ogechi Geo-Ibeabuchi, Ph.D, gave the advice while delivering a presidential address at St. Peter’s church, Amizi Olokoro in Umuahia South L.G.A, of Abia State during the mother’s union conference themed, “Surely, He has borne our griefs”, with text drawn from the Bible book of Isaiah chapter 53 verse 4.
Mrs Geo-Ibeabuchi however joined the organized labour to advice the Federal Government to perish an thought of offering anything less than N100,000 as the new minimum wage.
“The issue of minimum wage increment in Nigeria can be described as tales by moonlight because whenever anyone is seeking for elective position, the promise to promote civil servant’s welfare forms the major headline. But as soon as they are sworn in, civil servants will be seen as people who do not desire a good life. The thought of offering civil servants between N48,000 to N60,000 only as minimum wage is shameful, insulting and laughable considering the present economic realities”, Mrs Geo-Ibeabuchi stated as she advised the Federal Government to take a serious matter as the minimum wage of Nigerian workers seriously.
The President of the Women Ministry who decried the uncertainties that have necessitated the rise in inflation rate at 33.69 percent in Nigeria, observed, “It is pathetic to state that the tenure of our incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is characterized with multiple taxations and rising hardship. If nothing is done about the so-called sacrifices that taxpayers are persuaded or compelled to make for the revival of prostrate economy without propositional improvement in the general well-being of the citizenry, Nigerian streets may be littered with corpses of people who died of hunger and starvation….
“The level of acceleration in inflation is alarming partly because of renewed weakness in the Naira and coupled with the poor state of our local and foreign reserves. The upward pressure we experience today came mostly from prices of housing, utilities and transportation, attributed to the recent increase in electricity tariffs and fuel. Food inflation on its own account for the bulk of Nigeria’s inflation basket. The situation is terrible because our insensitive government pay attention to sponsoring Hajj at 50 billion instead of making policies that will improve the welfare of citizens.
“We are still waiting for the CNG vehicles as promised since last year. However, caution should be taken and appropriate research made on its impact on human beings as well as on the environment considering climate change and the excess heat we now experience”.
Mrs Geo-Ibeabuchi condemned in its totality, the killing of about 5 soldiers in Aba by yet to be identified gunmen and the incessant kidnapping of school children in the state, describing the development as inhuman, condemnable and barbaric.
She advised that while Governor Alex Otti’s administration is thriving in beefing up the infrastructural level of the state, that more attention should be paid towards the security of lives of the helpless, vulnerable and innocent children, even as she cautioned parents against the attitude of handing over their children to strangers in the name of contracted cyclist or tricycle operators, for school runs.
She appreciated the one year impactful leadership of the governor and for the prompt payments of pensions and Abia worker’s salaries and prayed that it should be sustained.
“The old narrative about Abia being underdeveloped and lagging behind in the comity of states has changed dramatically within this one year. Truly, Governor Otti has given new definition of governance in Abia state within this short period”, Mrs Geo-Ibeabuchi also observed.