22nd February, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Nigerian skit maker, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu popularly known as Oga Sabinus has appealed to the federal government to increase the current minimum wage.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari signed the minimum wage act that approved N30,000 for both federal and state workers in 2019.
In January 2023, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) said it would start the process of reviewing the national minimum wage.
However, there have been calls by organised labour for an upward review of the minimum wage after May 29, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy in his inauguration speech.
In a video via his Instagram story, Sabinus wondered why the minimum wage has not been increased — amid the current economic hardship in the country.
“But wait o, make we calm down check this thing. Make we tell ourselves the truth. Nigerian government never reach to dey pay civil servants more than N30,000 as minimum wage?” he said in pidgin language.
“What is N30,000 now? Like why them dey do this thing? Wetin dey really go on for this country? What is really going on?”
The development comes a few days after many celebrities bemoaned the worsening economic hardship in the country.
Many lamented that the economic crunch is biting so hard that even the rich are complaining.