Former Presidential Aide Urges Tinubu to Fulfill Living Wage Promise

Former presidential adviser, Laolu Akande, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfil his promise to ensure that the Minimum Wage in Nigeria is indeed a Living Wage

He also expressed his support for the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)/Trade Union Congress (TUC)’s demands for such a Wage as labour continues discussion over the minimum wage.

In an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Akande underlined the importance of equitable pay and openness in budgetary policies of the government.

“The people that represent the Labour Movement [in minimum wage negotiations] tend to take an attitude that suggests that they are not willing to take the short end of the stick.

“They see a lot of the excesses. They see a lot of the misappropriation, even though some workers too are involved in the benefits. But the attitude they bring in is that ‘You’re asking us not to ask for this much, how come it is that we have this level of extravagance?’

“You [Government officials] cannot say, on the one hand that, ‘We cannot pay you that sum of money’, but the whole world can also see some of your own (government) excesses. The people who are negotiating are also Nigerians and can see what everybody sees. So, it’s one of the strengths they bring to the table. It’s a moral imperative.”

“We have to give the credit where it is due. This President wants to give a living wage. He has been the one has spoken a lot about a living wage, a wage that can sustain people. So, what we are waiting for is how he will match those words with actions.”

Speaking on the controversial Maesk $600m deal, Akande criticized the media team of Tinubu’s camp for their handling of the issue.

He expressed his concerns regarding the lack of coordination and synergy within the team, highlighting the detrimental effects it had on the perception of the President.

“The President is showing a bit of determination in trying to be the Chief Marketing Officer of Nigeria. It’s a good thing. But determination is strength, desperation is weakness,” Akande remarked, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach in governmental communications.

Recall that last Sunday, President Bola Tinubu and the company’s Chairman, Robert Uggla, held closed-door talks on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In a statement by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu meets Chairman of Danish shipping giant Maersk; secures $600 million investment in Nigerian seaport infrastructure,’ he quoted Uggla as saying, “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600m in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships.”

Akande further elaborated on the missteps taken by government spokespeople, stating, “When you have government spokespeople going ahead of Maersk to announce what Maersk wants to do, it shows a bit of desperation. That’s weakness. And it doesn’t reflect very well on the President.”

He emphasized the need for proper protocol, suggesting that announcements of this magnitude should be left to the companies involved, with governmental support expressed afterward. “What they ought to do is to allow Maersk itself to announce… and they will throw their presidential weight behind it so that the thing really goes out,” Akande explained.

The former presidential aide did not mince words in his assessment of the situation, labeling it as incompetence. “For them to be the ones to announce what Maersk is going to do after a closed-door meeting is simply, and I’m sorry to say this, incompetence.”

Akande acknowledged the hard work of the Special Advisers and their team, but underscored the critical need for synergy, coordination, and oversight. “Both of the Special Advisers and their team are hardworking. No doubt about that, but there’s no synergy, no coordination, no oversight among them,” he stated.