By Tony Adibe
As the Organised Labour and the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government continue in the ding-dong affair over workers’ minimum wage, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu has advised Mr President to consider retooling his Renewed Hope housing program as alternative to unaffordable minimum wage.
Okechukwu’s advice came as he also cautioned the Organized Labour to halt the planned nationwide indefinite strike scheduled to commence on Monday (tomorrow).
In a statement issued on Sunday, and made available to NewsBits, Okechukwu, while reacting to the minimum wage logjam, appealed to the federal government to as “matter of urgent national importance,” quickly embark on house ownership for all workers nationwide as it is much better than liquid cash that could cause hyperinflation.
He said: “Mr President house ownership for all workers is the doable middle ground in this impasse, as workers over the years have been contributing 2.5% of their salary to the National Housing Fund; all that is needed is Federal, State, LGA and private sector’s supplement.”
Okechukwu, who is a foundation member of APC and immediate past Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON) , argued that the N497,000 proposed by the organised labour was unaffordable, because more than ten states either could not or had blatantly refused to pay N30,000 old minimum wage till date.
According to him, “Whereas one agrees with the working people that there is economic hardship and declining standard of living; albeit ownership of houses is the middle ground in this impasse and better than more liquid cash which could spiral hyperinflation out of hand and lead to mass retrenchment of workers.”
The politician, however, called upon the Organized Labour to remember the “blood and tears shed decades ago by our compatriots enroute our return to democracy; therefore, we should not in vain throw the baby-democracy away with bathwater.”
He reiterated that Organised Labour should desist from the danger of “throwing away our Baby-Democracy with Bathwater; as the indefinite strike could destabilise the economy, spiral into unintended consequences and harm our fledgling democracy.”
The APC Chieftain agreed with Organised Labour that the “labourer is entitled to living wage, especially in the midst of stagflation and declining living conditions,” but also advised labour to “adopt house ownership for every worker as middle ground, to augment the N60,000 offered by government and the private sector.”
He argued that rent is one of the items in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is tearing the hair of workers nationwide, as workers spend one third of their disposal income on shelter related matters. Okechukwu added that house ownership gives workers inner peace of mind, improves living conditions, and encourages productivity.
