Minimum Wage: NANS backs organised labour

The National Association of the Nigerian Students (NANS) has pledged its support for the Organised Labour on the N30, 000 new National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.

Mr Danielson Bamidele, NANS President, made the pledged at a news conference held on Friday in Abuja.

According to Bamidele, NANS has observed with utter dismay, the unfortunate turn of things in our dear country.

“The disturbing issues of the moment ranging from arbitrary increase in tuition fees, lack of adequate attention to education and poor funding of education.

“Also, the near absence of student welfare on campuses or welfare facilities and schemes for students by various governments, insecurity and among others; and in all these, students are the worst casualties, directly or indirectly, ‘’ he said.

Bamidele noted that under the alarming atmosphere, some governors have continued to arbitrarily increase the tuition fees of the state owned educational institutions.

According to him, students are tired of dropping out of school and neglect of the education sector.

He said that NANS was ready and set to join forces with the organised labour to rescue the dying workers, saying that reasonable and acceptable increment in workers’ wages was long overdue.

“NAN wished to state clearly that this issue of N30, 000 minimum wage is a challenge and we therefore demand that government and the Private Sector should immediately accept the meager N30,000 as minimum wage.

“Throwing helpless Nigerians into untold hardship that will be occasioned by the impending strike is totally needless as negotiation has been concluded,” he said.

He, however, said that NANS also noted that the financial straits that the state government are faced with, but advised them to mop up funds with the responsibility of the well-deserved minimum wage.

Bamidele, therefore, called on state governments to reduce the amount channeled to unproductive parties, rallies and other frivolities in the Government House.

The NANS president also advised government to reduce security votes, especially since it has provided no security, save for those managing the funds.

He urged states to reduce both the entourage of governors and the estacode paid to the retinue of aides on the numerous travels and among others.

He added that NANS cannot find any cogent reason why any of the parties should find it difficult to pay a minimum wage of N30, 000.

“After all, has any governor, deputies, House of Assembly members, political office holder ever been own salaries? He asked.

“NANS, therefore, salutes the courage of Organised Labour for embarking on the struggle, we stand with them, ‘’ he added.(