A group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged the Federal Government to increase the salary of workers in the country.
In a Thursday statement signed by its Executive Director, Prof Is’haq Akintola, the group said the present N18,000 minimum wage set for workers appears to be an invitation for workers to steal as it is no longer in tune with modern-day realities.
He said the minimum wage should therefore be upwardly reviewed to N50,000.
Explaining how the funds to pay the new minimum wage will be raised, Akintola urged the Federal Government to cut in half the jumbo salaries and other emoluments paid to members of the National Assembly.
He said the cut, if implemented, will help to free up funds to provide much-needed relief to the impoverished masses.
Akintola further said that the funds could also go a long way in offsetting the N33,850 cost of taking WAEC, NECO, JAMB and Post-JAMB by candidates, many of whose parents are groaning under the burden.
He said, “We propose that Nigeria’s minimum wage should be raised to N50,000. A country actively fighting corruption should not impoverish its civil service. The Federal Government, as at today, appears to be leading its own civil service into the temptation to steal.
“The way out of this conundrum is to raise minimum wage significantly from the current N18,000 to N50,000 as requested by Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
“We also suggest payment of only half of the salary of our present lawmakers (whatever that is).
“The deducted half should be used by government to pay WAEC, NECO, JAMB and post-JAMB fees of all Nigerian students as a relief for the impoverished tax-payers.
“Government should be prepared to subsidise it, if the amount deducted from lawmakers’ salary is not sufficient. The average Nigerian worker is deliberately impoverished by those elected by him.”