Oshiomhole Quotes The Bible, Tackles Govs Over N30k Minimum Wage

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has borrowed a verse from the Holy Bible to ask governors to comply with the proposed N30, 000 as Nigeria’s new minimum wage.

According to Oshiomhole, the governors are not rendering any “act of kindness” by paying workers their salaries, saying “Even the Holy Bible says that the labourer is entitled to his wages”

Oshiomhole went on to say it is a “must” to pay workers their wages “as and when due” as the primary purpose of government is the welfare of the people.

The governor was quoted by The Nation as making the statements on Thursday.

“My views are clear, that payment of wages is not an act of kindness for an employer to pay the employees’ wages at the end of the month. Even the Holy Bible says that the labourer is entitled to his wages,” said the APC Chairman.

“I think, again, this is where President Buhari stands out clearly. He has publicly asked public sector employers; how do you sleep when you have not paid your employers for one year? But he did not stop at lamenting it, he went on to provide the much- talked about bailout fund and said, ‘please use this money to pay your workers and pay pension arrears

“As for my views on the minimum wage, I tried to deal with it as a governor. I told my colleagues then that wage is not a burden in the society. In economics, when people work and get paid, purchasing power is enhanced and because purchasing power is enhanced producers will respond to that by seeking to produce more goods and services. And in the process they will recruit more hands.

“I remember some people calling me to ask how you will pay it. I am on record of having paid it and as we speak my successor in office is paying it. I do not agree with those who says Nigeria cannot afford a more realistic minimum wage.

“My being in government or now chairman of a party cannot change what I believe in. I know that no nation has enough to meet the greed of leaders but nations have enough to meet basic needs of their people.

“The real problem in the public sector is money being stolen in the name of salaries; I found it embarrassing when we talk about ghost workers. And I ask the question who counts ghosts; it is only in Nigeria that ghosts are known. The labourer deserves its wage; the primary purpose of government is the welfare of its people. So we must pay wages as and when due,” he said.