Minimum Wage: Better Welfare For Nigerian Students

Comrade Chinonso Obasi

By, Ajoke Babareke , Abuja

The demand for increase in minimum wage for Nigerian Workers is an indirect demand for better welfare for Nigerian students.

The Executive Director of African Students Education Support Initiative ASESI, Mr Chinonso Obasi said this in Abuja while addressing journalists on the strike embarked on by the Nigeria Labour Congress on the demand for increase in minimum wage .

Mr Obasi said the workers demand is long over due ,he lamented that te present working condition of workers in Nigeria is an advanced slavery. 

According to Obasi, " It’s really unfortunate that despite the little stipends workers are paid in Nigeria, these salaries doesn’t come when due and when paid, it seems to be a Privilege not the right of the workers. The present minimum wage doesn’t conform with economic condition of Nigeria therefore the demand for an increase is a right course that has general solidarity and support of ASESI"

"When workers are not paid well, parents find it hard to sponsor their children efficiently therefore it is important that teachers and lecturers in all institutions of learning join the strike as their condition seems to be the worst of all"

"A teacher who cannot feed well cannot have anything to offer to students, a lecturer that is not well paid will end up extorting the students to make ends meet. Those who’re qualified to teach today tends to look for better well paid jobs because of the low standard of salaries that teachers earn in Nigeria" he added.

The Executive Director of ASESI noted that ASESI will mobilise it members to only vote for those who will priotise education as their mandate.

"ASESI will mobilise it members under her constituency to make sure the right persons are voted into power in 2019".

Obasi made known that ASESI will tackle issues of female molestation on Nigerian higher institution campuses. He emphasized that the organisation will proffer legal backings for female students affected. 

"ASESI is not only for Nigerian government ,we intend to draw attention of the western world and other organisations to make sure we get better and quality education in Nigeria " Mr Obasi added.