The lawmaker representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Senator Ahmed Wadada of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has said he and his colleagues are ready to cut their remuneration and allowances to enable workers nationwide to earn ₦150,000 as minimum wage.
Senator Wadada made this known in an interview with newsmen in the Keffi Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State on Tuesday.
Senator Wadada noted that the current realities of the Nigerian economy informed his decision to propose the figure, which will go a long way in alleviating the hardship faced by the workers.
“I have expressed my opinion in the past on the issue, and I am going to reiterate it here. For me as a person, the minimum a worker should earn is ₦150,000, looking at the realities of today,” he said.
He said that he and other lawmakers were willing to make sacrifices in terms of reducing their remuneration and allowances just to ensure Nigerian workers earn decent monthly salaries.
Wadada, who expressed confidence in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, described it as an open, transparent, and listening government that would come up with a figure acceptable to workers.
“At worst, it should be higher than what the government is currently offering. Much has got to be done by the government,” he said.
He lauded the Tinubu administration for its well-articulated and disseminated policies to the citizenry.
He said, “You all know that communication between the government and the governed is key to governance because that is the only way the citizens will know, rightly or wrongly, the direction of the government.
“Among other projects, we are aware of the coastal highway from Lagos to Calabar, which will be a turning point for the economic development of Nigeria. So far, we commend his administration.”
He called on President Tinubu to approve nothing less than ₦150,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, noting that leaders “spiritual life cannot be complete if we do not have the fear of God in all our dealings.”
“Once you have the fear of God, you will be better guided, and your excesses will be reduced to the barest minimum.
“Everything begins and ends with the fear of God. The greatest veritable instrument in getting whatever we want is the fear of God. So I want Nigerians to reflect on that this period,” he added.
