Dele Sobowale’s “Labour unions in fantasyland over minimum wage”  (see Vanguard Monday 2nd December 2019) rekindled a fond memory of the late witty-wag and veteran newspaper columnist, Chief Bisi Onabanjo (read: Aiyekoto). Asked   in   a television programme: “The Press”, what motivated his weekly witty reflection over the years. One, he said, was an irresistible urge for deliberate mischief. The second,   self-indulgence for want to do. Nobody would ever pretend that we are in the age of humility. I will therefore not be surprised if Uncle Dele, like the late statesman-columnist, would accept that his weekly   word counts   are out of   deliberate mischief   or boredom of retirement.

His “Labour unions in fantasyland over minimum wage”    was   feverishly   poorly written. It was a hysterical reaction to my insistence that it is   illegal and criminal for any governor as an employer to renege on the National Minimum pay legally permissible under the 2018 national minimum wage ACT.

Uncle Dele, scandalously exhibits crass ignorance (albeit combined with arrogance and poetic license!), about labour market issues. He writes under “Business”. But he should be reminded that Labour also means Business!    Labour   market issues (just like capital and money markets!) require real knowledge not just common sense which he agrees is uncommon in his   UniJankara. A received wisdom in Hausa puts it better:   Talo ba jalihiya ba, Mai ilimi ne, (Tailoring is also knowledge- driven!).   Obioma goes to school nowadays! Commentariats must catch up with complex issues in labour market. The point cannot be overstated; Minimum wage is not a passing fad in Dele   Sobowale‘s “fantasyland”. On the contrary, the concept and practice of paying a national minimum wage is a global policy.

Various ILO conventions and recommendations on national minimum wages have been adopted by most countries of the world including Nigeria. A minimum wage is the minimum amount of money an employer of labour in both public and private sectors is required to pay to expect minimum productivity from a worker, a spouse and minimum of four children. Nigeria has rich traditions of minimum wage determination process, often legitimized by an Act of Parliament. 1999 constitution says “The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring:, ….that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens”.

Again the point cannot be overstated that minimum wage is a   constitutional issue. It is a sad commentary that most governors hardly read the constitution from which the legitimacy of their oaths of office flows. Indeed Minimum wage is on the exclusive list. Once passed as law, Governors can pay more but not less. The principle is the same: governors regardless of the ability of their states to pay, are entitled to minimum pay , minimum courtiers, minimum security details and of course open ended security votes. What is good for Governors is even more desirable for a working woman and man: minimum pay, minimum hours of work, minimum entry age for to labour market (otherwise some employers would employ child labour). The first   minimum wage of was N125 (some $250 then,almost 100,000 today, thanks strong Naira of the 70s and 80s)! The Act was enacted in 1982 in the wake of organized labour’s agitation led by the pioneer NLC President, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu (Comrade HA!).

Most veterans of Second Republic including Uncle Dele would remember    Ekun, Oko Shagari!, (Labour-Lion   tormentor of President Shehu Shagari). Happily Comrade HA is still very well around. Long live the   Obiomas!!! Dignity of labour, confers longevity than corruption!. Minimum   wage was reviewed, from N250 per month in 1991 to N5,500 per month in 2000 after Comrade Adams Oshihomole commendably engaged President Olusegun Obasanjo. Paradoxically, OBJ, notoriously prides himself as “creating   25 Nigerian billionaires” contrary to the spirit of the constitution that envisages inclusive income prosperity. ( witness him:”I always say it proudly that my aim when I was in government was to create 50 billionaires from Nigeria. Unfortunately I failed, because I created only 25,)”. Some countries do have such Presidents who glorify income inequality:,few billionaires, millions in income poverty!!.

In OBJ’s Farm, clearly   All animals are not equal even at birth. Notwithstanding Uncle Dele’s demagoguery, in George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM, at least all animals are equal, only some are more equal than others. Still on minimum wage: President GoodLuck Jonathan in response to the agitation by organized labour under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) signed 2010 Minimum Wage Act of N18000 ($110, half of the 1981 value!). No thanks again to consistent Naira devaluation. From this brief history, it is clear that   minimum wages have never been arbitrary awards of Presidents or some wage-defaulting governors (contrary to media misinformation of the   likes of Uncle Dele). Minimum wages are negotiated outcomes between organized labour, organized private sector and governments. Minimum wage law actually envisages 5 year cycle.

Again President Muhammadu Buhari   bowed to labour pressures and inaugurated tripartite National Minimum Wage committee in 2017, two years behind the cycle. President Muhammadu Buhari for the first time democratized the negotiating committee to include 6 governors from each geo-political zones. Negotiations lasted some 18 months by the Committee made up of   Federal institutions like Head of service, states governors, Manufacturers Association, National Salaries, Wages Commission, MAN, NLC and TUC , NECA, CBN, NBS and other labour market institutions.   Uncle Dele exhibits unacceptable labour market illiteracy when he wrote that “First, President Buhari, forgetting that he is now a civilian and not a military Head of State, was wrong to order immediate implementation”.  On Minimum wage and wage issues in general, I bear witness that President Buhari   like the late President Yar Adua, is indeed a tested democrat and labour friendly leader. Everybody recalls how audaciously President Buhari in 2017  wondered aloud how any employer especially governors would go to bed without paying their workers.

President Buhari also commendably thought outside the federal box to (through the CBN) restructured the ever poor finances of some states and offered unprecedented bailouts so that they can meet their salary obligations. Uncle Dele has the right to be dogmatically oppose to Buhari administration, but the labour markets facts debunk his dubious claim that   Buhari dictates to states. On the contrary, it is Uncle Dele and his wage-defaulting lawless governors that are criminally imposing starvation as opposed to minimum /living wage on their workers. Once minimum wage becomes the law all employers must pay from the effective date failing which is criminal opened to sanctions.

Respect for Rule of law must start with respect for minimum wage Act for the poor. Uncle Dele cried more than the bereaved when he made fetish of the immunity of governors against prosecution. Minimum wage law sees governors as employers not as untouchable tin gods under the so-called immunity laws. With as many 7 governors already sent to jail for corruption and disrespect for rule of law, am   unimpressed that Uncle Dele still shares the pedestrian view of immunity for governors. Immunity is not an excuse for impunity the punishment for which is not time bound. Is Shobowale familiar with these names?: Jolly Nyame of Taraba convicted for 14 years for diverting N1.64 billion, Joshua Dariye of Plateau   convicted for 14 years for misappropriating N1.16 billion ecological funds, James Bala Ngilari   sentenced to jail for 5 years without an option of fine for defrauding his state of N167 million,   Lucky Igbinedion sentenced to six months imprisonment for money laundering worth N25 billion, James Ibori of Delta state who since completed his time in jail, for money laundering in London, late Diepreye Alamieyesegha of Bayelsa and two weeks ago, former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, 12 years in prison for stealing public funds (N7.65 billion). So much for Shobowale’s immunity for governors!!! Monies stolen by governors would definitely not be made available for education, roads and payment of workers’ salaries. It’s time Nigeria and Nigerians damned impunity in public offices. Here is lies Complete (Minimum Wage) Idiot’s guide for Uncle Dele.

*Issa Aremu, Member, National Executive Council, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Vice President, Industriall global Union.

Vanguard