MINIMUM WAGE: Sowore dismisses ‘Facebook Economists’, offers salary calculator

Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has unveiled a salary calculator which compares the salary of Nigerian workers with that of a serving senator.

The calculator which is on his campaign website  tells how long it would take a worker in Nigeria to earn just the allowances that National Assembly Members take home in one month.

This is coming in the heat of conversation on how much Nigerians should earn as the new minimum wage, which has pitched labour against government especially at the federal and state levels.

Sowore had in his Independence Day rally at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Lagos said “when they want to receive allowances, there is money but when Nigerian workers who create the wealth demand for a fair wage for their labour, Facebook economist will tell you it will cause inflation. How will investing in your human resource cause inflation? How come the salary of our senators who do nothing have not caused inflation?”

He went on to propose a N100,000 minimum wage which he called “living wage” adding that “what this will do is that it will empower civil servants with purchasing power, they will stimulate the market through demand and supply and this will grow local businesses, but they say this is not possible because they want you to remain where you are”.

On where he will get the money to finance his proposal, Sowore said “There are uncollected royalties from Oil companies who are making a kill from our oil blocs. A fraction of this money alone can pay the Nigerian worker without the government breaking the bank”.

Reacting to the tool on Facebook, Oke Temitayo Ezekiel said “And this is what I got: it will take you 4 years, 10 months to earn Nigerian Senators Monthly Allowance. Wahala Deh!”

“It will take me 11 years 3 months to earn a senators monthly salary” said Folorunsho Williams after using the salary calculator tool.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now