Controversy On Minimum Wage And Reality Of Restructuring In Nigeria:

By Sir Don Ubani

The question of what a Nigerian worker takes home, has been a matter of public concern for some years.

The Nigerian worker is like any other Nigerian who is subject to the vagaries of economic realities.

With constant fall in value of the Naira and consequent inflation, the purchasing power of the Naira in the possession of the Nigerian worker correspondently diminishes. Hence the need to review the salaries of the worker from time to time.

The Nigerian Government, both military and civilian, has been sensitive to yearnings of her working-class. In 1972, the military administration of Gen Yakubu Gowon set up the Chief Jerome Oputa Udoji committee to review the country's public service, including remuneration for public servants. The attendant increase in salary in 1974 became jubilantly known as Udoji Award.

In 1999, the PDP democratic government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo came up with what became known as 'Jumbo Salary' for public servants in Nigeria.

The Goodluck Jonathan's  PDP administration equally paid close attention to workers' salaries. It came up with a minimum wage of N18,000 for workers.

No doubt, the worker deserves his wages. It is clearly written in the Holy Bible.

By the time Dr Goodluck Jonathan left as Nigeria's President, the US Dollar, which determines the purchasing power of Nigeria's Naira, exchanged at 160 for the Naira.

Regrettably and painfully, the Dollar exchanges at 360 for the Naira today. Hence the the Nigerian workers have begun to agitate for a review of their take-home package.

This lawful desire and subsequent drive have not gone down well with the APC federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In accordance with administrative tradition, a tripartite committee had reluctantly been set up by the Buhari government to discuss with Organized Labour on her demand for a salary review.

Due to lack of sincerity on the part of Government, as it allegedly tried to frustrate the efforts of labour by deliberately refusing to reconvene the tripartite committee,the Organized Labour; Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and United Trade Congress, which relates with Nigeria's Employers' Consultative Association, had embarked on a 14-day warning strike on the 26th of September, 2018, to drive home its demand.

Though the strike was called off before the end of the fourteen-day protest, the damage on the nation's economy was colossal.

From reports trending in the media, the Organized Labour, still feeling the government is full of deceit, has again indicated readiness to commence another strike on the 10th of November, 2018.

If it commences, no body would know how long it could last, taking into consideration the lack-lustre attitude of this government.

No matter how long the strike would last, one consequence that may not be ruled out is the huge negative impact it could have on the economy.

Away from industrial strife, there is a very important question that can not be glossed over when minimum wage is being discussed.

As already exemplified by state governors, it would be unjustifiable to expect a State government to pay her workers the same amount the federal government pays her workers.

In the preliminary discussions between governments and the Organized Labour, while the federal government is  said to have offered a minimum wage of N24,000 the State governments are reported to be willing to pay only N20,000.

The unavoidable question here is, in a federal system of government, should minimum wage of the federal government and state governments be discussed on a common platform?

The answer can not be in the affirmative. This is because federalism implies mutual or coerced union of different nations with different cultural and economic origin and backgrounds, to form a country.

In such a country and government, each nation runs its government in the best way peculiar to it, relying on comparative economic advantage.

Each nation, region or state, as the case may be, pursues its economic philosophies and policies, mindless of other nations, regions or states. Natural resources within the boundaries of such political entity are maximally exploited and harnessed for the overall development of the polity.

Only few things are shared in common in a federation. They include; Defence, Internal Affairs, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Aviation, Railways, Ports and Customs.

Before the military coup d'etat of 15th January, 1966, Nigeria was truly a federalist state. The four Regions; East, Mid-West, North and West, pursued their development and welfare of their indigenes in the best of their ability.

Each of the Regions had its Public Service. What workers in defunct Eastern Region, for example, were paid did not necessarily mean what their counterparts in Northern Region would be paid. Each Region paid according to its economic resources, viability, leadership and strength. The federal government also paid within its capability.

That the federal government of Nigeria and state governments would come together, on a round table conference, to discuss minimum wage of workers is, simply-put, an aberration. It does not happen in a federalism.

The solution to this abnormality is for the federal government to hearken to the clarion call by the good people of North-Central, South-East, South-South and South-West geo-political zones of Nigeria to Restructure Nigeria.

By Restructuring, the advocates are simply but frankly and vehemently demanding that Nigeria returns to her 1963 Republican Constitutional status.

As long as the federal government continues with the present system of governance which is more of Unitarianism than Federalism, economic and social development of the country will continue to be elusive.

There is no doubt, the presidential election of 2019 will be an important referendum. It will be a decisive choice of Nigerians between President Buhari who has shown his complete disdain for Restructuring and Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar of the Peoples Democratic Party who has openly expressed appreciation for Restructuring.

Sir Don Ubani; KSC,JP, is the
Okwubunka of Asa and 1998 Convener of PDP, Abia State.