Tinubu boasts minimum wage increment is major anti- corruption strategy
By Ishaya Ibrahim
President Bola Tinubu has commended himself for raising the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, saying it is a major anti corruption initiative of his government.
Tinubu made the remark during his first ever media chat of his presidency.
He was asked by Maope Ogun Yusuf if fighting corruption was his priority. He responded by highlighting what he believed to be the causes of corruption, among them poor infrastructure, poor pay and incentives. He then praised himself for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, saying it is a major corruption fighting effort.
Maope pushed him further on the issue of fighting corruption, reminding him that what he highlighted were petty corruption, ignoring grand corruption, like the type where one individual used public funds to acquire over 750 duplexes in Abuja. Tinubu replied, saying the individual was arrested.
Aside corruption, Tinubu said he has no regrets about removing fuel subsidy, emphasizing that the decision was necessary to secure Nigeria’s financial future.
Tinubu explained that subsidy was draining the country’s resources and jeopardizing future investments.
He said, “We are spending our future. We are spending our generation’s fortunes. We are not investing. We are just deceiving ourselves.
“Why should you have expenditures when you don’t have revenues? I don’t have any regret in removing the fuel subsidy. We cannot spend our generation investment. We have no choice. Otherwise, we are headed for the slippery slope… financial disaster, not just for us but our children.”
The President also addressed the recent palliative stampedes in parts of the country that resulted in the loss of lives. He attributed the tragedies to poor organization.
“It is very sad that people are not well organised. We just have to be disciplined. My condolences to those who lost their family members,” he said.
When asked what measures he intends to put in place that would lower the prices of food items so that citizens won’t die in stampede during food distribution, Tinubu said it is to ensure regular supply.
