In a recent interview with INDEPENDENT, Amb. Dr. Kalu Ofon Emmanuel, the Lagos State Chapter President of the International Human Rights Protection Service based in Naples, Florida, USA, has expressed strong opinions on Nigeria's governance and labour issues.
He discussed the contentious topic of the national minimum wage, criticizing state governors' reluctance to meet labour demands.
Amb. Emmanuel labeled the governors' stance on the minimum wage as "absolutely ridiculous," pointing out that every state in Nigeria possesses sufficient revenue to meet the proposed N60,000 or N62,000 minimum wage standards.
He underlined the differences between the governors' extravagant spending and their failure to prioritize worker welfare.
Regarding the labour union's revised demand of N250,000, Amb. Emmanuel urged a balanced approach, urging governors to prioritize worker welfare over non-essential expenditures.
He condemned what he described as deliberate negligence by some governors, accusing them of lacking conscience and accountability.
"My personal take on state governors’ insistence that they cannot pay N60,000 as National Minimum Wage and the Federal Government’s stand on N62,000 when Labour has reduced its demand to N250,000 is absolutely ridiculous to hear. There is no state in the country that does not have the capacity and revenue to pay workers the minimum wage of N60,000.00 or N62,000. Think about the huge amount of money each state generates monthly. Think about the huge amount of money each governor receives as salaries. Let us take into cognisance how governors lavish state revenue which run into billions of naira on things that are inconsequential and do not add any value to the state’s development," he said.