Oshiomhole Vows To Lead Protest Against Other Governors

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has assured the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that he will personally lead the protest against any governor that fails to pay the agreed minimum wage.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 6th quadrennial national delegates conference of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in Abuja, he said there was no justification for any governor not to pay the minimum wage, Vanguard reports.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole said: “I have told my fellow governors that when the going gets tough, everybody will answer his father’s name. I am not and I will not support any government, any governor, federal or state that misunderstood the problem to focus on the weakest link.
“Be assured that you can count on me. If you want to organize protest, I will join. I will not only join to protest against refusal to pay minimum wage, but to press for the idea of minimum wage to be sustained.”
Speaking on the alleged N2 billion recovered loot from former military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha said to have been used in the purchase of arms, the governor said the federal government must prosecute all ex-officials that were involved.
He also justified the refusal of the federal government to allow ex-national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to travel out of the country on health ground, saying there were competent medical doctors in the country to attend to anyone that has health challenges.
“Just last week, the big man was accused of spending about 2billion dollars, even at a time some governors are saying they can’t pay minimum wage. If you divide 2billion dollars by N200 to the dollar and share to all Nigerian workers, you don’t need wages for the next one year,” he said.
On his part, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the factional president of the NLC said that both the NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), were currently working on a new wage demand, which would soon be presented to the federal government.

He explained that the current purchasing power of the Naira was making the N18,000 minimum wage unsustainable.
Recall that governors under the umbrella of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) had on November 19, said they can no longer pay the N18,000 minimum wage to workers due to the poor state of the economy.
The governors  announced this after their meeting which held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In reaction, Senator Ben Bruce representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District described the move as unjustifaible and advised the governors against it.