Group urges FG to reduce cost of governance

Isaac Job – Uyo

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) has urged the federal government to cut down the cost of governance to enable it implement the new minimum wage across board.

President General of the association, Muhammad Yanusa gave the advice to the federal government during the association’s central working committee meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.

Yanusa observed that government continuous delay in implementing the new minimum wage due to disagreement between it and labour over salary adjustments is worrisome.

He explained that government would not only be able to pay Nigerian workers if it reduces the cost of governance, but would also be able to tackle decayed infrastructure across the country, especially in the area of rail and land transportation.

“The delay of government to implementing the new minimum wage up till this moment is worrisome to us. It is a major challenge to us because we are in the public sector. For level 1-6, that one is settled.

“The area of disagreement currently, is that labour is asking for 30 per cent increase for workers from Level 7 to 14 and government is saying no; that what it can afford to give is 9.5 per cent. Labour also proposed 25 per cent increase for level 15 to 17, but government is saying what it can increase is five per cent.

“And we are telling government to cut down on what it spends on the legislature and the executive so that it will have money to pay civil servants who are creating the wealth of this country.

“What is even proposed for the workers is not too much. Government can cut down on cost of governance and have money to pay workers and also do physical infrastructure,” he asserted.”

Yanusa emphasized that labour has also advised government to commute monies recovered from looters of public funds for infrastructural development to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

He disagreed on the argument that some state governors would not be able to pay the new minimum wage of N30, 000, saying that the issue regarding the implementation depends on the priority any state government accords its workers.