Primate Elijah Ayodele, Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, says State Governors are “heartless” following their rejection of the Federal Government’s N60,000 minimum wage proposal.
Information Nigeria reports that the Governors had offered N57,000 as the amount they can approve.
Describing the Governors as inhumane for failing to improve the lives of workers, he noted that the proposed N57,000 is insufficient to cope with the country’s economic hardship.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Oluwatosin Osho, the prophet revealed that the inadequate wages workers receive are contributing factor to the persistence of insecurity in several states of Nigeria.
He called on Governors to review the payment for workers instead of frustrating efforts to improve their lives.
According to Ayodele: “Our Governors are heartless. Paying N57,000 as a minimum wage in this present time is like punishing workers because there is serious hardship in this country. The proposed amount cannot work because they also can’t accept such a ridiculous amount.
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“They collect security votes and allocate different payments to themselves, but paying a meager amount as minimum wage has become a problem for them.
“This is one of the reasons insecurity persists in our states because when a security man is paid below expectations, he will collect money from bandits to operate.
“The salaries of workers need to be reviewed because governors and politicians get paid handsomely. The people in government know the pain of the people, but it’s sad that they are frustrating efforts to make it better.”
Speaking on the indefinite strike embarked upon by the Organised Labour, Primate Ayodele condemned them for shutting down the national grid in a demonstration over the minimum wage.
Acknowledging the action as one that could endanger the lives of innocent Nigerians, the prophet advised the unions to be mindful of their actions during demonstrations.
“Shutting down the national grid is totally condemned; it’s something that can cost the lives of innocent Nigerians. The unions should know how to express their grievances without affecting other Nigerians. Shutting down the national grid only affected innocent Nigerians.”
