"We are indeed amused that Atiku, who only recently retrenched some staff of his GOTEL TV in Adamawa State without properly paying them off is dropping hints in the media about a N33,000 minimum wage for his staff. One of his senior managers was even quoted as saying over 100,000 people are currently drawing salaries on a monthly basis from the former Vice President... Not even Dangote Group which is the largest conglomerate in West Africa has the number of staff these people claim to be on Atiku’s payroll."
The Buhari Media Organization (BMO) has countered the claim by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that he would pay N33,000 as minimum wage to his staff.
The former Vice-President had announced on Thursday that he would pay a minimum wage of N33,000 to his staff numbering more than N100,000 members. [story_link align="left"]64729[/story_link]
Niyi Akinsiju, the BMO Chairman and Cassidy Madueke, the BMO Secretary, made the organisation's position known in a statement published by NAN on Friday.
The statement read: "We are indeed amused that Atiku, who only recently retrenched some staff of his GOTEL TV in Adamawa State without properly paying them off is dropping hints in the media about a N33,000 minimum wage for his staff.
“One of his senior managers was even quoted as saying over 100,000 people are currently drawing salaries on a monthly basis from the former Vice President, so we are wondering who between him and the PDP presidential candidate is lying about the actual staff strength of the companies.
“Not even Dangote Group which is the largest conglomerate in West Africa has the number of staff these people claim to be on Atiku’s payroll. BMO however noted that this is not the first time the candidate and his people have sought to bamboozle Nigerians.
“Only a few days ago, the PDP presidential candidate promised to reduce fuel price to N90 per litre if voted into power at a time it is common knowledge that the landing cost of a litre of refined petrol is about N158. He must have been shocked in Dubai to see how Nigerians instantly rubbished his poorly thought-out ‘campaign promise’.
“While it is not in our place to advise them, we urge the Atiku campaign team and the PDP to make only realistic promises as even in propaganda, you have to be truthful to the people you seek their votes.”
The group also berated the PDP for "wasting" resources on the meeting held in Dubai.
The statement continued: "Here is a man who has vowed to get Nigeria working, but has spent the last few weeks with his associates boosting the local economy of Dubai under the guise of strategising for the presidential campaigns.
“We believe that the huge resources they have wasted there would have taken many Nigerians out of poverty.
“On the contrary, President Muhammadu Buhari is not only committed to ensuring a new national minimum wage, but is also keen on ensuring that more Nigerians benefit from his social welfare programmes across the country."