GOVERNOR OBASEKI’S #70,000.00 MINIMUM WAGE AND ITS OPPORTUNITY COST
By ESV, Amb. Tony Okonigene
The announcement of a #70,000.00 minimum wage for Edo State civil servants by Governor Godwin Obaseki on May 1st 2024, was received with mixed feelings by different people. While the over 60,000 affected civil servants and thousands of their dependants jubilated over the news, some few political actors were sowered by the news. The opposition APC in the state felt as if a sledge hammer had hit its propaganda machine.
From available statistics, the new minimum wage implementation is going to cost the Edo State Government about #1.4 billion every month. Note that Edo State was already ahead of the Federal Government and other states at #40,000.00 minimum wage. So the Governor could have chosen to remain silent and waited for others to catch up before thinking of increasing that of the state.
The APC led Federal Government felt embarrassed by the audacity of Edo State Government. So embarrassed was the Federal Government that it could not spell out the figures of the approved national minimum wage. The Federal Government could only dish out some incoherent percentages increases that boiled down to a #40,500.00 national minimum wage. This is far below the #70,000.00 Governor Godwin Obaseki announced. Can you see why the APC does not want to hear about Obaseki?
The governor could have channeled the additional #1.4bn to settling the political leaders across board in the state. 1,400 political leaders could have been given #1million every month. You would have seen political leaders coming out to praise Governor Obaseki and endorsing all his activities. Instead, the Governor chose to elevate the spending powers of over 60,000 civil servants thereby affecting the lives of thousands of their dependants positively. Their prayers will not come back void.
There is no way that God will not elevate Governor Godwin Obaseki and multiply his coasts. God cannot allow his enemies to come and take over and destroy the foundations that he has laid for the future of Edo State. Those who are praying for the PDP in Edo state to loose the coming governorship elections in September so that political godfathers will stop crying at night, must be praying to some other gods and not the God Almighty. God must win with THE MAN WEY SABI for these positive trends to continue in Edo State.
