Omokri said instead of having a unified minimum wage, the federal government should adopt a multiple-wage system
By Kehinde Okeowo
Popular socio-political analyst and writer, Reno Omokri has urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to adopt the American multiple minimum wage system.
He gave the advice on Saturday through his official X account, while reacting to the Nigeria governor’s position on the new minimum wage.
The Federal Government on Friday proposed a fresh N62,000 as new minimum wage, while organised labour reduced their demand from N494,000 to N250,000.
Prior to this, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) had insisted that state governments cannot afford to pay 60,000 initially proposed by FG as minimum wage.
Reacting to the development, Omokri said instead of having a unified minimum wage, the government should consider adopting a multiple-wage system since financial resources vary between FG and the states.
Speaking via his verified social media page, he tweeted: “Since the governors have said they cannot afford N60,000 as minimum wage, then, instead of a unified minimum wage, why can’t we do as the Americans, and have multiple minimum wages?
“One federal minimum wage and 36 minimum wages, each state having theirs. That will be one small step for workers and a giant step for true federalism. Because, in truth, why should poor states be forced to pay the same minimum wage as wealthier states, like Lagos, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom states?
“It is like saying all of us must pay our drivers the same amount that Dangote pays his chauffeurs. All fingers are not equal, and all states are not at the same level.”
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Similarly, former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe advised FG to allow state governors to decide the amounts they can pay as new minimum wage for their workers.
He made this known on Friday while featuring on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’.
He faulted the national minimum wage Act which mandates governors to pay a uniform minimum wage to the workers in their various states.
Okupe said: “We should not make laws that are all-encompassing, that make it compulsory for all governors in the federation to obey them. They are sub nationalities on their own.
“I mean for instance, if you pay a minimum wage in Lagos, why should I pay that in Sokoto? Let every governor decide for his own state by his own people that this is what I can afford.”