N62,000 Minimum Wage Not Enough For Civil Servants – Archbishop

Founder of God’s Heritage Global Assembly, Archbishop Josef Bassey has expressed displeasure over the nation’s stunted growth alleging that the N62,000 minimum wage proposed by the federal government cannot meet up with the economic realities of workers.

The cleric made the remark in Calabar while commenting on the state of the nation and 25 years of democratic governance.

“The present minimum wage is grossly inadequate and cannot take a Nigerian worker and his household for a week.

“Minimum Wage is not something that the organised labour needs to protest about in a democracy,” he said.

The cleric wondered why the leadership of the nation is still struggling on how to deal with the minimum wage issue that is not supposed to be a problem.

He stressed that protesting for minimum wage in a democratic dispensation is something that ought to have been carried out by the people’s representatives who are originally closer to their constituents calling for a proper reassessment to arrive at a win-win situation for both the government and the governed.

“Democracy for the heck of it is useless. It should count for something and the result apparently experienced and enjoyed by all,” he said.

Describing governance as a partnership that should not be left for a certain group of persons, the archbishop said people must develop the will to stand up, speak out and fight within the ambit of the law for the change they want to see.

The cleric described June 12, Nigeria’s democracy anniversary, as a day of mixed feelings, calling on Nigerians to be proactive in the democratic process.

Bassey urged Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable and ensure that they account for their stewardship.