Governors, Senators, Reps Should Also Be Paid N62k Minimum Wage – Father Mbaka

Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, the spiritual director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), has reacted to the controversy trailing the negotiation of the new minimum wage.

The Catholic priest, who was reacting to the new minimum wage demand by the organised labour unions, suggested that governors and members of the National Assembly should also receive the proposed N62,000 minimum wage from the federal government.

On June 3, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) began an indefinite strike because the government hadn’t met their demand for a new minimum wage, disrupting essential services.

The strike was paused the next day for one week to allow negotiations. The federal government and the organised labour subsequently resumed negotiations on June 6 — where the new wage was proposed.

In an interview with AIT on Saturday, Father Mbaka stated that governors, senators, and house representatives should earn the N62,000 minimum wage as well.

He pointed out that the salaries of national assembly members are secretive, causing public speculation and debate.

Mbaka expressed concerns about potential unrest, recalling a recent event in Lagos where labor activists disrupted airport operations.

The cleric questioned why only regular civil servants should get the proposed minimum wage while politicians receive extravagant allowances.

He highlighted the struggles of teachers, nurses, doctors, and other civil servants who work long hours for meager pay amid high inflation.

Mbaka urged the government to quickly address the minimum wage issue to avoid another strike, warning that mishandling the situation could lead to serious consequences.

“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.”

Mbaka said asked the government to “speedily” address the minimum wage issue with the organised labour to avoid another strike.

The cleric said it is a matter of handling the bull by the horn tactfully but very speedily because “if they are not careful, this crisis of a thing can be hijacked and nobody knows the ripples effect”.

This comes after the Nigeria Governors’ Forum disagreed with the Federal Government’s proposal of a N60,000 minimum wage, stating that it’s not practical and won’t work.