‘Governors, Senators, Reps Should Earn N62k Minimum Wage Too' — Father Mbaka

Father Ejike Mbaka 

Lawmakers, governors, and senators ought to receive a minimum salary of N62,000.

Father Mbaka Advocates for Equal Pay: N62,000 Minimum Wage for All Public Servants, Including Lawmakers and Governors

The controversial Catholic priest Ejike Mbaka believes that the N62,000 minimum salary that the federal government is proposing should also be paid to governors and members of the national lawmakers.

The cleric was responding to organized labour's new demand for a minimum wage.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended vital services on June 3 and went on an indefinite strike because the federal government had not complied with their demands for a new minimum wage.

The following day, in order to allow for talks with the federal government over a new minimum wage, the groups “relaxed” the industrial action for a week.

The increased salary was presented during the June 6th, 2011 negotiations between the federal government and organized labour.

Mbaka stated that the N62,000 minimum salary should also apply to senators, governors, and members of the house of representatives in an interview with AIT on Saturday.

Nigerians have speculated and debated over the salary of members of the national legislature, whose details remain obscured.

Mbaka requested that in order to prevent another strike, the government “speedily” resolve the minimum wage problem with organized labor.

“If they are not careful, this crisis of a thing can be hijacked and nobody knows the ripples effect,” the cleric remarked, emphasizing the importance of managing the bull by the horn gracefully but quickly.

“We can push these poor Nigerians to the point of rebellion. That is my fear. All of us were in Lagos that day, we couldn't come back,” the cleric said.

“Just like a joke the labour people entered into the airport and stopped every operation and if this happen again it might tantamount to what nobody dreams or what we dream but out of fear we cannot release to the public.

“If we decide to give labour N60,000 or N62,000, why not generalise it to the house of assembly members, senatorial members, house of representative members, and governors?

“All of them are civil servants. So, are the others slaves? I cannot imagine why somebody can be amassing billions and billions as sitting allowance, wardrobe allowance, newspaper allowance, vehicle allowance and what they call suffering allowance.

“The people that should have such allowances should be the poor masses in the villages.

“As teachers, how much are they being paid? Our nurses and doctors, how much are they being paid? Let us be realistic, our civil servants that wake from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

“They wake up early and return late. How much are they being paid. And look at the level of inflation in the country.”