Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, the spiritual director of the Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), has advocated for the proposed N62,000 minimum wage to be extended not only to labourers but also to Nigerian lawmakers and governors.
Speaking to newsmen on Saturday, June 8, Mbaka expressed his concerns about the severe hardships experienced by Nigerians and the ongoing debate for a living wage.
“If we decide to give labour N60,000 or N62,000, why not generalise it to the House of Assembly members, senatorial members, House of Representative members, and governors? They are all civil servants, so are the others slaves?” Mbaka questioned.
“I can’t understand why they are amassing billions as sitting allowance, wardrobe allowance, newspaper allowance, and suffering allowance.”
He continued, “The people that should have such allowances are those suffering in the village. How much are our teachers, nurses, and doctors being paid? Let’s be realistic. Our civil servants who wake early and return late daily, how much are they being paid?”
Rev. Fr. Mbaka highlighted the disparity between the allowances received by lawmakers and governors compared to the wages of ordinary civil servants, who often struggle to make ends meet. “Looking at the level of inflation in the country, you will see that we are all not sincere in this country,” he stated.
He pleaded with the government to handle the situation with care to avoid potential unrest.
“I’m pleading with the government that a stitch in time saves nine; this situation must be handled with care because it might be hijacked and nobody knows the ripple effect,” he said.
