Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu has restated his N90, 000 minimum wage proposal for workers following the breakdown of negotiation between the organised labour and the Federal Government over a new minimum wage.
Senator Kalu restated this when he addressed newsmen after holding a close-door meeting Governor Alex Otti of Abia State at his country home in Isiala-Ngwa South local government area of the state.
The former Abia State governor said the Federal Government’s proposal of N62, 000 might sound very good but he believes that N90,000 will be a better minimum wage.
“I’m also believing that N62, 000 cannot do anything. I propose N90, 000 because we have not increased the minimum wage in five years,” he said.
He continued,” If we use five years of minimum wage that has not been increased, say that we are increasing 200 percent, from N30,000 to N90,000, divided five years with 200 percent increment is 40 percent. So that 40 percent gives you inflation. This is why I say N90,000.
“I might be different from so many people that are in government, but I’m a practical person. The civil servants need some good treatment and good behaviour,” Kalu said.
LEADERSHIP recalls that labour unions had insisted on a N250,000 minimum wage following months of negotiations with the government and the organised private sector.
President Bola Tinubu after receiving the recommendations of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage also said the country would pay what it would afford to the workers.
Kalu, who is senator on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while appraising the performance of Tinubu, said he believes the president has done well in his economic policies but needs to review his handling of hardship and hunger across the country.
“I’m sure the president has done well in some areas, and he also needs to improve in many other areas,” the lawmaker said, stating further that, “I’m a very practical person. I fear nobody and I don’t support anybody. I support the truth.
“President Tinubu has done so well in some areas and has not done so well in others,” he said.
“He has done well in economic policy; the monetary policy is very good but not with fiscal policies; we are not growing more food. I want us to grow more food,” Kalu added.