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According to the workers, if the government does not check the inflation rate, the potential gains of any new minimum wage would be eroded.
On Tuesday, federal and state civil servants reeled out what they expect as workers from President Bola Tinubu and the governors as they prepare to mark this year’s May Day on Wednesday.
May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, is celebrated on May 1 of every year to honour the working class worldwide.
The civil servants who spoke in Ibadan called on the federal government to urgently review its monetary policy to reduce the current high inflation rate.
According to them, if the government does not check the inflation rate, it may erode the gains of the new minimum wage expected by Nigerian workers.
They also sought quick completion of the ongoing rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
The workers further stated that the government should encourage the private building of modular refineries so that periodic fuel scarcity in the country would be a thing of the past.
They also expressed concern over the security challenges currently confronting the country, manifesting through banditry, kidnappings and ritual killings, among others, all of which, they said, had been threatening the nation’s peace and security.
The workers pleaded with the federal government to find lasting solutions to the country’s age-long electricity challenge, noting that the lack of stable electricity had obstructed Nigeria’s progress.
According to John Abidakun, a federal civil servant, the Tinubu-led administration should look inward and revisit its monetary policy to address the current inflation rate.
Mr Abidakun decried the current inflation rate, saying that an urgent step was needed to combat it, “otherwise, the pending new minimum wage will be meaningless when it is finally implemented.”
To Abibat Olasode, who works in one of the paramilitary agencies, the federal government should rely less on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank’s economic advice.
Olasode noted that the high inflation rate in the country, which had worsened the living conditions of many Nigerians, might not be unconnected with wrong advice by the world financial organisations.
She called on the government to rejig the nation’s security architecture by allocating adequate funds for the purchase of modern weapons and motivating security personnel to enhance their operations
Ibukun Jolayemi, a civil servant with the Oyo government, called for the completion of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries without delay, saying workers could no longer cope with the high cost of transportation due to a hike in fuel prices.
Mr Jolayemi urged the government to give licences to investors interested in building modular refineries and provide a conducive environment for them to operate.
A public servant, Dayo Ogundare, said that his expectation from the government was not to increase the minimum wage but to make policies that would enhance the country’s economic growth.
According to Mr Ogundare, fixing the electricity problem alone will have positive impacts on the economy, thus boosting the economic conditions of those who depend on electricity to operate their businesses.
He urged the president to do everything he could to address all the power sector’s challenges. He added that Nigerians would appreciate him if they could have an uninterrupted power supply. (NAN)
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