A statement released on Tuesday by Lucky Ighoyota, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the TakeItBack Movement/Sowore2019, lamented that workers had to fight for increase in wages from N18,000 to N30,000 in a nation where senators get N13.5 million naira monthly as allowances.
TakeItBack, the presidential campaign movement of Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has restated its belief that workers deserve nothing less than N100,000 as national minimum wage.
A statement released on Tuesday by Lucky Ighoyota, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the TakeItBack Movement/Sowore2019, lamented that workers had to fight for increase in wages from N18,000 to N30,000 in a nation where senators get N13.5 million naira monthly as allowances.
"Once again, the Nigerian government has stopped short of giving Nigerians what they truly deserve — a decent day’s wage for a decent day’s work — as they enter a non-disclosed agreement with the Labour force ahead of the intended strike today, Tuesday, 6th November," read the statement.
"The Labour force has agitated for years for a wage increase commensurate to the high cost of living in, but our leaders have baulked at providing for its citizens, preferring instead to create excuses, justifications and shadows where there are none in order to justify their mass oppression of the people.
"It is unconscionable that workers have to fight to increase wages from 18,000 naira to 30,000 naira in a nation where senators get 13.5 million naira monthly as allowances. It is unthinkable that workers are further punished with gruelling price hikes in every single aspect of daily life and the leaders cannot employ this same economical savvy they display in denying an increase in minimum wage in easing the burdens of the average Nigerian.
"This complete disregard for Nigerians, our lives and our survival is a trait Nigerians have come to know all too well from the Buhari regime, and we expect no difference from the PDP who spent 16 years in power compounding the difficulties of the Nigerian people.
"The Take it Back Movement, headed by convener and AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has made it clear in the past that our support for Labour’s agitation for decent and living wages is steadfast and unflinching. We believe every Nigerian deserves a fair living wage, and it is for this reason that we have committed to a 100,000 naira minimum wage for workers.
"Unlike many manifestos that make promises without the practical process on how these promises will be achieved, we have done the analyses and we make bold to say that Nigeria can pay its workers what they deserve.
We will employ our considerable resources to supporting our most valuable asset – the Nigerian citizen – instead of pumping billions of naira into funding medical tourism, white elephant projects, and paying millions of dollars for airlines that exist only on a graphic designer’s board. We will continue to stand with the labour movement as they fight for fairness and what is right for that is the only way we can progress."