Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on the Nigerian government to urgently review wages and carry out broad economic reforms.
He warned that the value of labour is still being undermined and the hardship faced by citizens intensified by deteriorating economic conditions.
In a statement on his handle on Friday to mark Workers’ Day, Obi lauded workers from different sectors, calling them the key to national survival.
“Workers are the backbone of every nation,” he said, noting that Nigerian workers “continue to sustain our families, communities, institutions and national economy, even in the face of severe hardship and uncertainty.”
He was concerned about the falling value of wages with inflation and the rising cost of living.
“It is profoundly painful that those who get up each day to teach, heal, build, farm, produce, transport, protect and serve our nation are still denied the dignity and fair reward their labour deserves,” he said.
Obi cautioned that the current minimum wage no longer suffices for a decent standard of living.
“In the present-day Nigeria, the minimum wage can no longer afford the barest minimum of living, as inflation, increased cost of food, transportation and economic hardship continue to erode the value of honest work,” he noted.
He emphasized the importance of human capital. “No nation can truly advance beyond the abilities, productivity and welfare of its workforce, he said. When workers hurt, the country hurts. “Empower the workers and the nation flourishes.”
“Governance is not just about economic issues alone, Obi called on workers to be actively involved in contributing to the democratic process of governance.
“They owe it to themselves, to their children, to future generations to support and to demand leadership based on competence, character, capacity, credibility and compassion,” he said.
He closed by urging a “fairer society, based on justice, on respect for labour” “A productive nation must be built on justice, fairness and respect for labour. That is the Nigeria we must collectively work towards.”
