PDP urges labour leaders to demand higher pay in Kwara

The Kwara State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dared Labour leaders in the state to demand an upward review of the “lifeless N70,000 minimum wage” from Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

The challenge was thrown in the wake of the minimum wage increment announced by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who has just increased the state’s minimum wage to N104,000 from the initial N76,000.

The party, in a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, said it was sad that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, “who is supposed to be setting the pace for others, is lagging in this critical area.”

It noted that the massive federal allocations combined with the state’s unprecedented Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) ought to be reflected in the take-home pay of civil servants.

PDP said: “It is unacceptable that a corps member now earns more monthly pay than a Grade Level 8 Kwara’s civil servant,” insisting that the N70,000 minimum wage set by the Kwara government since October 2024, which is the lowest compared to neighbouring states, has long outlived its relevance with the current economic realities in the country.

“Our party is of the firm belief that the governor is deliberately shying away from his responsibilities to the workers by failing to invest in their welfare, which is critical to ensuring productivity, improving the local economy and reducing spate of insecurity.

“The PDP further stated that a government that is investing N30 billion in mere hotel renovations, planning to buy N1.4 billion worth of cars for lawmakers, and that acquired N80 million worth of vehicles for each local government chairman should not find it difficult to give hardworking workers what is due to them.

“We strongly believe that the governor is deliberately shying away from his responsibility to invest in the welfare of workers—a critical factor in boosting productivity, stimulating the local economy and arresting the spate of insecurity.

“With the size of federal allocations coming to Kwara and the strength of its IGR, the state can conveniently afford a minimum wage of at least ₦150,000 for its workforce,” it lamented.

The party, however, urged Labour leaders across the state to seize the momentum from the Imo government’s action and demand a living wage for their people.

“Kwara must move away from the tokenism of the civil service with the current lifeless N70,000 minimum wage, which is insufficient to even cover a worker’s transportation expenses for a single month,” the statement concluded.

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