The deputy president, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Isa Aremu, on Wednesday, slammed President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, over the decision to take 50 per cent cut from their monthly salary rather than offering selfless services as sign of change proclaimed.
Aremu, who is also the General Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) and the Chairperson of the Industrial Global Union, Sub-Sahara Africa Region, said though the President and his Vice should be commended, but noted that there is need for sacrifice beyond the presidential symbolic pay cut.
The labour leader, who disclosed this at a colloquium to mark the 10th anniversary of the Amilcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS) said that it is debatable if the President who pays for nothing from toothpick to President Jets needs millions of naira as salaries.
“The best way to honour Cabral is to call on African leaders to selflessly serve their people and there is nowhere with self-serving leaders like Nigeria. “The 8th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 9. So far, they have only sat for four days in the last five weeks. Meanwhile, they have collected all the prohibitive allowances that shamelessly include wardrobe allowances for work not done in a country in which many workers are not paid for months for work done.
“It will take a minimum wage earner about two years and five months to earn what legislators earn as wardrobe allowance of N506, 600″ Aremu added. He, however, challenged the Revenue and Mobilisation Commission to urgently review the compensation structure which unduly give privilege to the ruling elite, at the expense of the working people.
“The critical issue is the widening wages gap in the country. We must also stop multiple remunerations for few ruling elite, while one legitimate pay is denied the workers.
“Most former governors who are now senators are still unacceptably collecting prohibitive pensions, while still drawing on state purse, salaries and allowances as serving senators.
“Governorship should not be pensionable but seen as selfless service to the nation with severance pay and honour that must go with good governance. Also, if we can tax minimum wage, while not tax the minimum pay of President, Vice President and the governors alike” he added. – Daily Times.
