The senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce, has reacted to the position of governors over the N18, 000 minimum wage.
The lawmaker made his stand known in a series of tweets on his official Twitter handle on Monday.
He tweeted, “I know for the fact that even dogs at Government House cost more than N18,000 to take care of in a month. How much more a human being?
“It is unjust for a government to contemplate reducing workers’ pay of N18,000. What can that amount buy in today’s Nigeria?
“A worker with a family earns less than a member of the NYSC who earns 19,800. Reducing his pay is unconscionable. A man earning N18,000 struggles to pay rent, feed his family and pay school fees. To reduce his pay is to punish his family.
“In the last four years, the cost of food and fuel has gone up. Can we, in good faith, make a case for the reduction of workers’ pay?”
Ben-Bruce warned that reducing the minimum wage would increase the rate of corruption as workers would indulge in sharp practices to augment their income.
He said it was hypocritical of governors to spend over N18, 000 per meal and ask civil servants to receive less than N18,000 a month.
He added, “If the government doesn’t pay workers well, it invites workers to steal. To end corruption, we must pay workers well.
“You cannot be spending more than N18,000 per meal and claim that the man who earns N18,000 per month is overpaid.”
