Pay minimum wage with recovered stolen funds, SERAP urges Buhari

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to utilize the recovered funds to pay the new minimum wage proposed by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

The Deputy Director of SERAP, Timothy Adewale, said this on Sunday in Lagos.

He maintained that the present minimum wage could not sustain the workers and draws in sharp contrast to the pay of the lawmakers which he urged the Federal government to slash.

He said: “The government can begin to take tangible steps like proposing legislation to cut security votes of around N241 billion yearly.

“The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) should take legal action to seek refund of N13.5 million monthly ‘running cost’ for each senator and N10 million for each member of the House of Representatives.”

“The minimum wage of N18, 000 for Nigerian workers stands in sharp contrast with outrageous and sometimes illegal salaries and allowances of high-ranking public officials who continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles with impunity.

“Vulnerable Nigerian workers are left in a precarious situation, unable to ensure a decent standard of living for themselves and their families, with access to water, health, and education seriously undermined,” Adewale said in a statement.