Osamagbe Imadiyi
President Bola Tinubu’s new minimum wage of N70,000 has drawn criticism from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who said it is woefully insufficient to meet workers’ basic needs, such as housing, food, and transportation. By putting individual interests ahead of the welfare of the group, the former president charged that labour leaders had betrayed their employees. “This is the state of affairs in Nigeria during the third decade of the twenty-first century. In his recently released book, “Nigeria: Past and Future,” Obasanjo wrote, “For some workers, the minimum wage does not even cover transportation costs, let alone food, housing, and family upkeep. “Obasanjo charged that the labor leader was ignoring leaders in favor of his own interests in Chapter 17 of the book.
“Workers are not receiving enough attention. They have been denied their right for far too long. They have fallen prey to those who were supposed to defend their interests. How did a trade union leader end up negotiating with a political party to be accepted as a candidate for governor while in office? As a result, the workers fall prey to self-centered leaders who seek political prominence by abusing their positions. Instead of negotiating in the workers’ best interests, they engage in sabre-rattling, are called into the room, have large sums of money thrust into their hands, and remain silent”.
Additionally, Obasanjo reprimanded government officials for admitting in public that they had bought off labor leaders in order to put an end to unrest. Because it creates a conflict of interest, Obasanjo maintained that it is unethical for labor leaders to use their unions as platforms for political advancement. He suggested a law that would prohibit labour leaders from getting involved in politics for at least five years after leaving office.
