Editorial
President Tinubu, House Of Reps Bill To Purchase 2 New Aircrafts
The removal of fuel subsidy by president Tinubu on May 29, 2023, will naturally trigger the rise of food, goods and services and inflation across Nigeria. It will lead to workers to put pressure on private sector employers and government for an upward review of wages.
It’s public knowledge that president Tinubu, in his 2024 June 12 Democracy Day celebration address to Nigerians, stated that he will forward a Bill to the national assembly to legislate into law, the national minimum wage of N62,000 albeit the Nigerian Labour Council, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, have denied being a signatory to the national minimum wage that was forwarded to president Tinubu.
Federal and state governors have vehemently stated that they cannot afford to pay the N62,000 wage without retrenchment of workers. State governors have been receiving about 300% allocation from FAAC since the removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, yet they claim they cannot afford to pay the recommended minimum wage.
Sadly, state governors study and read the body language of president Tinubu on the national minimum wage matter – which is that the national minimum wage is beyond the capacity of the Federal Government.
Presently, there are surreptitious, clandestine moves by the Federal Government to retrench workers across all ministries and parastatals. A classic example of Federal Government agencies that are compiling names of their staff include but not limited to Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Ministry of Education, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Voice of Nigeria, VON, Federal Office of Statistics, the Works Ministry, Health Ministry and so many more agencies, etcetera.
State governors had also hinted that they will retrench workers if they must pay the controversial N62,000 national minimum wage albeit most of the governors, up til today, did not pay the old national minimum wage of N30,000!
By the way, where did revenues generated from the increase of fuel subsidy removal gone to?
Also, how did state governors deploy the humongous allocations received by them from revenues generated from the removal of fuel subsidy albeit their lavish lifestyles.
At this moment, lying on the table of president Tinubu is a Bill passed by the House of Representatives for the purchase of additional 2 jets for the presidential fleet, despite the fact that there are about 10 aircrafts in the presidential fleet. The excuse that only two of the aircrafts are in good shape and there’s an urgent need to acquire new aircrafts for the president does not hold water.
When the King of England recently visited France, he travelled in a commercial aircraft, and this had been the tradition for United Kingdom ministers and government officials albeit they hold King Charles and the Prime Minister in high esteem. Does the fact that the head of government of the United Kingdom, England, flying a commercial airline reduce his integrity and status of his position?
In these times of hardship, brought upon Nigerians by the inglorious removal of fuel subsidy, and the hyper-inflation that the ill-thought policy foisted on Nigerians, it’s wickedness and a misplacement of priorities for members of the House of Representatives to approve a Bill for the purchase of 2 aircrafts for the president.
The Bill for the purchase of 2 aircrafts for the president is a litmus test of president Tinubu’s compassionate qualities as a leader who intentionally sought for the highest office in Nigeria for the improvement of the lives of Nigerians. Nigerians will gauge and judge Tinubu’s level of compassion by the Bill for the purchase of 2 aircrafts, especially if he approves the purchase of the aircrafts. If any new aircraft must be purchased, president Tinubu should approve the sale of old aircrafts in the presidential fleet to purchase new aircrafts. This is the most responsible way to go.