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Sunday 24 July 2011

Minimum Wage or Minimum Disgrace?


Each time I turn on my computer to blog or comment about issues in Nigeria, it's always with a deep sense of frustration because you know the issues are to do with things that you would imagine will be easy to sort out. Unfortunately in Nigeria we tend to make things look more complex than they really are; we don't do things the easy way, do we? The 18,000 Naira minimum wage controversy came to almost an anti-climax with the calling off or suspension of the strike action proposed by the Nigeria Labour Congress last week. Whilst some states Governments have agreed and signed up to implement the payment, some are still insisting they can't afford it, something I struggle to believe and understand. First, let's try and put the 18,000 Naira into some sort of perspective. If you break down 18,000 monthly minimum wage in weekly terms it works out as 4,000/week and daily wage of 900 Naira. If you go further to calculate the wage in hourly terms, that gives just under 130 Naira per hour. This gives an equivalent to 50pence or about 30cents. How politicians  lay claim not to have the capacity to pay an average worker, a man presumably with a wife and two children 130/hour is simply astonishing and completely beyond me. Nigeria is rated as the second largest producer of oil by OPEC in its latest Annnual Statistical Bullentin (even though Iran currently disputes this) add to the soaring oil prices and excess oil revenue and yet we say we cannot pay a paltry amount of 18,000 Naira.

In contrast, we pay or our politicians pay themselves huge sums running into hundreds of millions of naira, not to mention those that are disguised as security votes, estacodes, constituency allowance and all manner of allowances. In my view, I wonder how anyone in Nigeria could survive on the pittance they call minimum wage especially in a country where people have to generate their own electricity; provide their own water supply; pay for their children to be privately educated because government schools have been left to decay and what is being served is nothing close to an education.

So why do our political leaders find it that difficult to pay and incentify our public servants? I think the politicians themselves would be the ones well placed to come up with a better and more credible argument other than the hard-to-sell position of their inability to pay. What this goes to show is the way we seem to prioritise what is more important for us in our society. Do we want to have a motivated public service that will be at the heart of driving government policies? Or do we want to continue to have an overbloated political structure with a retinue of political appointees and advisers of all manner of names who end up taking up a chunk of the government revenue in allowances/salaries.

Whilst I strongly believe the current 18,000 Naira minimum wage that is currently haggled over is nothing short of a disgrace, in fact I think it should be more than that figure if we take into account the astronomical cost of living in Nigeria. However, I am of the view that it's high time we took a step back and also look at the professionalism of our public/civil servants. It is no secret that a trip to most government offices in Nigeria is not a always a very pleasant one judging by poor customer service, lack of courtsey and the notion you have to 'grease' someone's palm to get want you want. These sorts of behaviours and attitudes has no place in a modern workforce that is key in driving reforms and policies of government. Government at all levels need to invest in training of public sector workers especially in the area of ethics, professionalism and policies. They also need to look at the code of conduct for their workers, if they have one, make it available and highlight the significance and importance of sticking to its provisions.


source: Google images
Time is overdue for us to start getting our priorities right; we've been left behind by the rest of the world and we run the danger of drifting further behind if we fail to take steps to pay a basic wage that is simply not beyond us to do. Afterall, we're supposed to be a rich nation so therefore let us start putting our money where our mouth is.


image source: Google images

5 comments:

  1. I believe in Nigeria BUT I also believe that unfortunately, corruption and greed will stop progress for a very long time.
    Yes, we can flag up issues like this but 'you chop, I chop mentality is so deeply entrenched in the national psyche that I fail to see a turning point anytime soon
    Pessimistic I know....but that's how I feel

    ReplyDelete
  2. I feel you N.I.L but we will keep shouting until our people start doing what is right. Even if we don't succeed at least our children will grow up to see that we actually made an effort.

    ReplyDelete
  3. good. we have to keep shouting..though sometimes you'll wonder if you're shouting alone. our public service needs a general overhaul: customer service, professionalism, accountability, integrity, etc.Greed and corruption too like NIL said has to be curbed. We definitely can afford this 18k and like you said, its still meagre cos most of these people have families too

    ReplyDelete
  4. "So why do our political leaders find it that difficult to pay and incentify our public servants?"

    It's simple. Pure, unadultrated greed.

    The more that they have too pay out to Nigerian citizens, the less loot they have to share amongst themselves.

    In simple speak, the way they see it, increasing Civil Servants pay,will result in a shortening of their already oversized rations.

    It's Sad

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is a shame this is an issue though not surprising.why do these politicians have to delibrate and haggle over public servants pay when it is obvious it is long overdue? The only answer I can think of is we have not really challenged their statusquo. Until we collectively stand up for what is right just like other great nations have done we will keep on seeing this sort of silly debate dominating our headlines.

    ReplyDelete

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