Good Example From Lagos

Earlier this month, Lagos State governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu drew applause from public servants in the state when he announced salary increase for civil servants.

The Governor made this announcement when he paid a working visit to the Lagos State Secretariat, in Ikeja, as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day celebration.

The governor said the pay rise will be unprecedented in the country in keeping with Lagos’ status as a pacesetter and first in setting standards.

During his speech, the governor also announced a 25 per cent salary increment for employees in the core establishment agencies.

According to him, his administration was moved to consider increasing the salaries of its 100,000-strong public service workforce as a way of cushioning the effects of the country’s inflation and its attendant high cost of living in the country, which has practically washed away the purchasing power of salaried workers across the country.

Tellingly, he said the state government was not going to wait for the federal government or for workers to raise their voice in complaint before enhancing their salaries, adding that by early next year the increase will be ready for implementation as the process had already commenced.

As a newspaper, we wish to commend Governor Sanwo-Olu for leading from the front in the issue of workers’ salary adjustment in the light of the erosion of the value of the naira which has condemned the families of civil servants and other workers with fixed income to living below the poverty line of two dollars a day.

Since last year, inflation has steadily risen over the months to reach a high of 20.52 percent in August 2022. Or even worse as the months roll by. A combination of poor government handling of the oil subsidy regime, poor national productivity resulting in overwhelming dependence on import, and food inflation due, mainly, to the inability of farming communities to carry on with their cultural practices as a result of terrorism and banditry among other poor government policies have combined to cause inflationary trends that have remained on the high over the last several months. The result is that the country has gone through two depressions under the present administration.

Sanwo-Olu’s move is even more significant when juxtaposed against other states which are notorious for owing salaries to their workers.

BudgIT, a civil society organisation, released a report in which it expressed concern over the refusal, or failure, of state governments to pay workers’ salaries.

In its report entitled “2022 Nigerian Sub-National Salary Survey,” the CSO said no fewer than 12 states owe their workers at least one month’s salary as of July 28, 2022 while at least eight states are owing up to six months and above. Taraba, Nasarawa, Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Plateau, Imo, Abia are listed in this category of those that owe both active workers as well as retirees.

It is noteworthy, in our opinion, that the delay in payment of salaries significantly affects the smooth working of the government. Also, the survival and livelihood of civil servants depend on timely salary payment and the government’s refusal to pay shows its disregard for the legal obligation to pay, and for their general wellbeing.

We agree with BudgiT that non- payment of salaries is a breach of the basic contractual provisions between an employer and employee and a denial of employee rights. And apart from making their lives difficult, failure to pay workers their salaries, and on time, reduces their enthusiasm and productivity, and impairs their survivability and sense of self-worth.

A few of the states have put the blame on bloated workforce as well as the dwindling income from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) which shares government revenue among the three arms of government every month.

Much as there is some grain of truth in these excuses, however, many of the governors have failed to be creative in looking inwards to raise the states’ revenue profile.  Also, both at the state and federal levels, the executive and the legislative arms of government have failed to cut down on wastes which manifest in budget padding, procurement fraud, white elephant projects, ghost workers, contract inflation, and overpayment of political office holders, among others.

It is noteworthy that there is a cost-of-living crisis around the world, with even governments in developed nations seeking how to support families in coping with rising food and energy costs among others, so the move by Lagos State shows an administration that is both responsible and responsive to the needs of its populations.

As a newspaper, we urge other governors to look into their spending patterns and cut out waste and corruption so that they can have more resources available to distribute to their citizens by way of salary increase, among others, in order to lessen their burden. As is often said, there is enough for our needs, but not enough for our greed.

Finally, other employers of labour in the private sector should also borrow leaf from Lagos and do their utmost to pay living wages.