Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South has criticized the new N70,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu, claiming it is insufficient to sustain a household. Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that the new wage barely covers the cost of a 50kg bag of rice.
In a video shared by Channels Television on Friday, Ndume expressed his concerns, saying, “People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that yesterday, the president agreed with NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but it takes more than that because, realistically, that is like a bag of rice, money that will buy a bag of rice or cover the cost of a bag of rice. So, I call on the president to still open up and listen to the people.”
The new minimum wage was agreed upon after a meeting between President Tinubu, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday. Initially, the government proposed N62,000, but later increased it to N70,000. Labour leaders, who initially demanded N250,000, accepted the new wage.
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Ndume’s criticism comes shortly after he was removed as Senate chief whip for his previous critiques of President Tinubu’s administration. He advised the president to further review the minimum wage to demonstrate solidarity with struggling Nigerians.
In light of Ndume’s comments, a market survey revealed that a 50kg bag of rice now costs between N78,000 and N79,000, exceeding the new minimum wage. Other basic food items are also expensive, with a 50kg bag of white garri selling for N57,000 to N58,000, a 50kg bag of brown beans for N130,000, five pieces of yam for N8,000, and a basket of tomatoes for N10,000.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a 140.4% increase in the price of essential food items like local rice, garri, tomatoes, beans, and yams as of April. This significant rise in food prices underscores Ndume’s point about the inadequacy of the new minimum wage to meet basic household needs.