Minimum Wage: Sowore dismisses Facebook economists, offer salary calculator

*Why wage increase is argued against – Lagos based economist

In solidarity with the Nigerian workers, Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Omoyele Sowore, has revealed a salary calculator on his campaign website which compares the salary of Nigerian workers with the salary of a serving senator.

The calculator, which tells how long it would take a worker in Nigeria to earn just the allowance that a National Assembly member take per month, is coming in the heat of conversation on how much Nigerian working class should earn as the new minimum wage.

Sowore, according to a statement sent to The DEFENDER Monday night, had during his Independence Day rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos said, “When they want to receive allowances, there is money but when Nigerian workers who create the wealth demand for a fair wage for their labour, Facebook economist will tell you it will cause inflation.

“How will investing in your human resource cause inflation? How come the salary of our senators who do nothing have not caused inflation?” He asked.

He went on to propose a N100,000 minimum wage which he called “living wage” adding that “what this will do is that it will empower civil servants with purchasing power, they will stimulate the market through demand and supply and this will grow local businesses but they say this is not possible because they want you to remain where you are”.

On where he will get the money to finance his proposed N100,000 the AAC Presidential Candidate said, “There are uncollected royalties from oil companies who are making a kill from our oil blocs. A fraction of this money alone can pay the Nigerian worker without the government breaking the bank”.

Reacting to the Sowore’s salary calculator on Facebook, according to the statement, Oke Temitayo Ezekiel said, “And this is what I got: it will take you 4 years, 10 months to earn Nigerian Senators Monthly Allowance. Wahala Deh!”

“It will take me 11 years 3 months to earn a senator’s monthly salary”, said another Nigerian, Folorunsho Williams, after using the salary calculator tool.

The DEFENDER reports that some of the arguments of those who are opposed to minimum wage increase did not go exactly the way Sowore thought.

A respondent, Wale Ogunyemi, a Lagos-based economist and former accountant at mobil, said, “What we are saying is that, price control mechanism will be the best way to go, else, if you increase minimum wage to N500,000 you will end up having our Nigerian worker earning so much but with no value.”

Buttressing his point, Ogunyemi said, “We should not be using economy like Benin Republic where a trip of one kilometer can cost you 1,000 CFA or Ghana where such trip will take you 300,000 Cedis whereas in Nigeria it can’t cost you more than N50.  By this, it means what you can achieve in Nigeria with just a piece note will require you a Ghana-Must-Go bag for carriage to achieve in Ghana,” he said.

He suggested, “We should insist on ensuring the system like in Saudi Arabia, England, even UK where prices don’t indiscriminately increase like we have in Nigeria.  It is sad sometimes for us as a people who have opportunity to make change to use the index of a typical danfo driver as yardstick for determine inflation rate when we can cut those guys who wickedly swindle Nigerians, particularly in Lagos, depending on crowd or not they see at bus stop.

“Yes, Sowore is right about Senators earnings but increasing wages to N100,000 may not be the way to go.  A good president, in a rule of law setting, should prevail on the legislative arm to cut down on their earnings instead of advocating increase for workers because it is not good for the economy.  There are people in developed countries like America today who still live or take $5, $20 to market and return home happy.  We should advocate for Nigeria where N5, N20 will have much value like time in the past when with N350 per mount a young man could marry a woman and take care of his family comfortably.  A price control mechanism will achieve this,” he said.