Abuja, Feb. 26, 2024: Workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed optimism as the Federal Government is making efforts to commence a new minimum wage structure for Nigerian workers.
Some of them said on Sunday in Abuja that the current economic situation in the country called for more consideration by relevant quarters.
They also urged the minimum wage committee inaugurated by the Federal Government to work speedily and in the interest of suffering Nigerians.
Mrs Comfort Uzor, a Civil Servant, commended the government in its efforts towards redeeming the wage allowance it promised to workers.
Uzor, however, appealed that in setting a new minimum wage, the increasing rate of inflation in the country should be taken into cognisance for the good of Nigerians.
She said: “ The government have tried, at least I have received my wage allowance up till January, although, it almost did not make much sense because of the high rate of things in the market.
“I pray the government, when reviewing the salary; will consider this high cost of things in the market because prices of goods keep increasing by the day.’’
Another civil servant, Jude Johnson emphasised the need for government to increase the salaries of workers to enable them give in their best on their jobs.
Johnson said:“ I know so many of my colleagues who barely make it to work three times in a week. Simply because they have no money transportation.
“For me, I have four children, and as we speak, only two are in school because I cannot afford to pay school fees for all of them and feed them at the same time.
“My wife is a tailor and barely gets few clients these days, who most of them cannot even conveniently pay for services rendered.
“I am seriously looking forward to this new minimum wage, and praying that the increment is reasonable enough to help augment certain things.
Also, Mrs Ekaite John, said the government and key stakeholders should look into the high cost of goods in the market and proffer immediate solutions.
John appealed to the government to channel major investments and interventions to farmers to encourage them to produce more and reduce their cost of production.
“Farmers need to be encouraged to go into the farms. We need increased local food production as that is the only way Nigerians will be able to overcome the current crises.
“The government also need to look into the challenge of insecurity because it is preventing many people from going into their farms to produce.
“A lot of farmers in our villages have migrated to the cities in search of white-collar jobs because they have been chased from their settlements in the villages,’’ she said.
A trader, Shehu Abdul, also expressed hope that the new minimum wage would take effect soon as the “no money syndrome” was affecting his business.
“ Our businesses are not doing well because our customers decry lack of funds. I sell perishables as you can see, and when people do not come to patronise me, my goods tend to go bad.
“Since the fuel subsidy removal, my business has been suffering. The cost of bring the goods have increased drastically, making us to also increase prices of our products.
“And our customers do not come to buy as they used to and most of them who come around, want to buy the products on credit, which is not good for us,’’ Abdul said.
Considering the new economic reality, the Federal Government inaugurated a 37 member tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.
The Vice President Kashim Shettima, while inaugurating the committee, whose membership cuts across federal, and state governments, the private sector and organised labour urged the committee to speedily arrive at a resolution.
He similarly urged them to submit their reports early as the current N30,000 minimum wage would expire at the end of March 2924.
