The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has said the payment of a living wage to workers is a sure way of reducing corruption to the bearest minimum in public service.
Chinda who is the opposition leader of the House said this in a chat with newsmen, in Abuja, on Friday.
According to him, ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and organised labour presents a unique opportunity for both parties to agree on a living wage for workers and not a minimum wage.
Chinda said, “A minimum wage of N70, 000 (seventy thousand) cannot solve the problems of a family which consists of a wife and four children as legally recognized by law, what we should looking into is a living wage.
The minority leader further said, ” We believe that the issue of corruption can be drastically reduced if we pay a living wage and it will ignite the spirit of believing in the state.
“Pay Nigerians a living wage it will solve a lot of problems, let’s see how we can pay affordable living wage, let government look deeply into it.
“As a caucus we solidly support labour for that but they must follow the rules while pursuing this to a logical conclusion.
“The position of governor’s that they cannot pay more than N70,000 it will not solve any problem, let government sit with labour and see what is affordable and practicable.
“I think the law recognizes one wife and four children, can N70,000 pay rents and feed them, how much is the price of a bag of rice.
“Nigerians are angry because they believe that there’s so much wastage and I have seen them publishing homologous salaries that we earn but if you pay a living wage the situation will change.
“We the caucus support a living wage without compromise but labour must follow the laws because two wrongs can never make a right.”
He explained that he and the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as his colleagues were on the same page when it comes to ensuring that workers get what is due to them because in the long run, Nigeria will be the better for it.
Chinda however appealed to labour leaders to go about making their case in line with laid down rules of engagement in order not to destroy what they are fighting to build.
VANGUARD
