Adewole Adebayo, a lawyer and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 election, recently shared his perspective on the contentious issue of minimum wage for Nigerian workers. His commentary comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu's administration announcing a 25% to 35% increase in worker salaries on May 1, citing recent inflation in the country as justification for the adjustment.
The announcement of the salary increase by the government has sparked a range of reactions across various sectors, particularly from the labour union. The labour union had anticipated a new minimum wage announcement from the government and expressed disappointment at the absence of such a declaration.
In an interview on Arise TV, Adewole Adebayo offered his insights into the minimum wage debate, referencing a historical precedent from 1979 involving former President Shehu Shagari. He recounted how Shagari had corresponded with Parliament regarding proposed salary adjustments, highlighting the need for equitable pay structures between the president and the vice president.
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Hear him: "Earlier in 1979 he ( Shehu Shagari) has written to the Parliament, when they said you will earn 50,000 naira, and he said no I can't earn 50,000 naira and Vice President Ekwueme will be earning 30,000 that will be too much, we don't need it so it was adjusted".