Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent of the bill for the new minimum wage of 30,000 Naira for workers in Nigeria, Nigerians in various capacities have expressed worries about the ability of states with low allocation to pay their workers following the new law.

The reason for this that the salary of workers in some states have been delayed and sometimes unpaid when the old minimum of 19,000 Naira wage was still effective. While signing the bill, President Muhammadu Buhari said that he expects Nigerians to show more commitment to duty and understand the current economic situation.

In response to the expressed anxieties, the president of the trade union of Nigeria, Mr Bobboi Kaigama said that the states in the country ought to have the capacity to pay their workers as defined in the new bill. He alleged that corruption and mismanagement were the root causes of the lack of funds at the state level.

He said that given the current conditions in the country, the government would look into the situation of states that cannot pay and make the best decisions in this regard.

Speaking on Inflation, Mr Bobboi said that the issue of inflation is not a novel one. He said that over the years there have been increasing prices of goods in the country.

According to him, the pathetic state of the workers’ salaries was the reason why the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has been out to fight for the interest of the Workers in Nigeria who earn an amount that cannot afford them a decent standard of living. He said that the Federal Government is also making arrangements to assess states on an individual basis.

Mr Bobboi added that Nigerians should be aware that the inflationary trend is evident in the devaluation of the Naira, making it clear that the actual problem has been a rising cost of living where the wage of workers have remained the same since the past decade.

Also on Inflation, Mr, Boboye said that the government is in control of everything and should be able to bring everything under control an eventually ensure stabilization which is a part of its core responsibilities.

He said that the response of the Nigerian government to the long-standing agitation by the Nigerian is highly appreciated and necessary at a time where the living condition of workers all over the country faces the risk of penury.

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