A labourer deserves his wages or something akin to that, says the Holy Bible. I’ll bet top dollar that the other major religion has similar quotations in their guide books.
It cannot be too difficult for anyone who is not bent on mischief to acknowledge that. I hold not such concern about the any government of the Federal Republic and the various states. Even the legislators who do nothing, when you come to think of it, deserve their obscenities of salaries and allowances. I will explain.
Imagine a man who has lived all his life in the city, carefully measuring the distance between himself and his village for fear of the witches and wizards, bad-belle people, and eternally angry and frustrated people who dominate the Nigerian aerial and terra space, and then has to now visit, beg, ‘dash’ money and generally smile and chat with. Just so he can get their votes to ‘represent’ them at state or national level. Just imagine the risk he has exposed himself to. And if that is not enough, if he truly wins, he has to learn to live by his wits and survive by his ability to remain below the ladder unless he is aiming for ‘higher ground’.
It cannot possibly be easy. And then he has to learn to lie! God, the pastors, imams and priests must have been kept dizzy busy. Little wonder they have such little time these days to remind everyone that liars and people of misdemeanour will end up in hell fire.
Whatever, a worker should be paid.
I have my hand under my chin, however, pondering what workers actually spend their money on. Money that is paid in compensation for the time given to their assigned work instead of any other engagement, compensation usually spent on the basics of life first – water, transportation, power, education, health, food and clothing. Basic.
To be fair, what is paid in this country as minimum wage is to say the least evil when pitched against what that money will be spent on – rent of sties at Shylock rates, water to drink, water from ‘mallam’, unreasonably priced transport, food that predictably reacts upwardly to the smell of more money in anyone’s pocket, education that is no longer public and good but private, therefore expensive but any great. We will resist the temptation to add mama in the village, brother who must go to school or learn a trade and father’s brother that is critically ill.
And really, people who earn minimum wage should not be seen with alcohol or near a wooden pot of isi-ewu. They must be probed!
Thank God for LABOUR. The Nigerian Labour Congress. After we lost the Ganis, Bekos, Solarins, Ubanis and other greats of public agitation for the public good, we have been left with a huge void that no one has stepped up to bridge. Please leave Agbakoba out of this conversation. Ozekhome has made clear his political affinities and we must question whether Ezekwesili can muster a crowd the size of her quarters in her village. There is no one. Just Labour. NLC.
And then. NLC, in the full grandness of its estimation of its own power, divinely-led wisdom of the people’s need, wakes and summons the people to resist government unless it pays a minimum wage of N66,500. It was even reported that Labour ranted at governors and elected officers of the Federal Republic for complaining about NLC demand reminding them that they earn Otokoto money as salaries.
I confess that I rushed for a bite of sugar when I read that. Then I almost fell out of my seat when I recovered from the shock of the thought behind that statement. I kept asking myself what could have brought us to this pass that even leaders nominated into positions so misunderstand the realities on the streets.
Then, I understood. It is a scam. Labour is one of the biggest scam ever in this country of scams.
I looked back and observed that none of our Labour leaders ever retired from the stage a poor man. Except the great Pa Imodu. Mr. Adams Oshiomole went on to become governor in his state, Edo, riding on the back of his popularity on the platform of Labour and rumored affiliations with some major power players in the political space.
I cannot imagine a Wole Soyinka, Beko Ransome-Kuti or Gani Fawehinmi using the sentiments of the people the way Adams used his to gain political prominence. It would be considered a sell-out and I think it is a sell-out. Utopian but that is my opinion.
We know it is a tradition by now for Labour to threaten a wage strike or embark on one when its relevance seems to be waning.
We are a third world country. Even Chris Ngige said so. That is our reality. Why is Labour not reasoning along the lines of the greater good for the greater number?
I made a search and found that the population of federal government workers is about 820,000. For argument purposes, let us agree that it is more. We will extend that argument and give each state and local government another pool of 10 million workers. That will make a total of 11 million workers. An improbable figure. If the federal government and the states are able to agree to whatever Labour is demanding, it is expected that the ripple effect of that will reach the private sector.
We are about 200 million people. Arithmetic. Our economy is struggling as it takes its tottering steps out of a recession. Companies are laying off workers and those who remain are being stripped of their perks.
How does Labour then protect its members who their demand will force out of jobs? The market women are waiting, bus and truck drivers are waiting with higher fares for passengers and freight of wares to markets. Commuting to and from work will rise in cost. Landlords will observe that ‘everything has gone up’ so will consider raising rent. Everything, up to okrika, will go up. All because 11 million people out of 200 million got a pay rise.
Could Labour not have declared that no one will go to work if the state and national assemblies do not reduce their salaries and perks by at least half? Could someone not have fought for potable water in every local government? More reliable power? Cheaper fuel and organized mass transit system? A revitalized and truly free quality public education system? A health insurance system that rivals Rwanda? I can go on.
I expected Labour, understanding its role as the last hope of the people, to fight for things that benefit the nation and the mass of its people rather than politicizing the sentiments of the few to the disadvantage of the more.
If Labour truly cares for anyone and not just its leaders, it will go back and demand to meet the Ministers of Works, Health, Transport, etc., and articulate the needs of the people, top it with an ultimatum for a practical plan, proof of readiness to fund them and a timeline, failing which, I will beg to join the NLC in a total shut down of the country.
But then, where Labour is concerned, that is Utopian, visionary and beyond comprehension. It is too focused in sustaining its leadership in its shaku-shaku dance in the television glare. Who knows their next plan after driving their names into our consciousness? Who knows which state or senatorial seat is falling next?
Mscheeew, which Labour sef?!
Let Bimbo just muse, abeg.
