A group under the aegis of Concerned Nigerian Patriots (CNP) has said that the insistence of the organised labour on collecting ₦250,000 as minimum wage would plunge the country into economic crisis.
TheHintsNews reports that the federal government and the organised private sector have proposed N62,000 minimum wage, though a far cry of what was being demanded by labour.
The state governors recently cautioned the federal government against negotiating minimum wage with labour on their behalf, adding that they can pay N62, 000 proposed by organised private sector and federal government.
The Chairman of the group, Alfa Mohammed, disclosed this while addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja categorically stated that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are conniving with Labour Party to create chaos for the Bola Tinubu -led administration, hence, their insistence on N250,000 minimum wage.
Mohammed stated: “The recent demands for an unrealistic minimum wage by the coalition of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Labour Party (LP) pose a significant risk of plunging Nigeria into another recession, exacerbating the economic challenges that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has been diligently working to overcome.”
He pointed out that the agenda appears to be a deliberate attempt to provoke public unrest and destabilise the government.
“By advocating for a wage increase that is not financially viable, they risk inciting chaos and anarchy, which could undermine our hard-earned democracy,” the group said.
Mohammed noted that their plan included a total shutdown of essential infrastructure under the guise of fighting for a living wage, potentially crippling the nation’s economy and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable citizens.
The group added: “It is important to note that this coalition, which supported Mr. Peter Obi in the last presidential election, is now inherently a threat to democracy or economic recovery.
“However, their apparent desperation to disrupt the current administration following their candidate’s loss to President Tinubu is concerning. This group, often referred to as the Obidients, has repeatedly mobilised protests, attempting to make the country ungovernable at every opportunity.”