Mr. Osita Okechukwu, former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, has appealed to Organised Labour to reconsider their demands for a minimum wage increase, warning that an indefinite strike could destabilise the economy and lead to unintended consequences.
In a statement released on Sunday, Okechukwu acknowledged that workers deserve a living wage, especially amid stagflation and declining living conditions. However, he proposed that labour adopt house ownership for every worker as a middle ground to supplement the N60,000 offered by the government and private sector.
Okechukwu emphasized that prioritising house ownership would significantly improve living conditions and boost productivity. He called on President Tinubu to urgently retool his Renewed Hope housing programme to facilitate nationwide house ownership for workers as an alternative to the unaffordable minimum wage demands.
“Mr President’s house ownership for all workers is the doable middle ground in this impasse, as workers over the years have been contributing 2.5% of their salary to the National Housing Fund; all that is needed is federal, state, LGA and private sector’s supplement,” Okechukwu stated.
He argued that the current demand for a N497,000 minimum wage is unrealistic, pointing out that more than ten states have either been unable or unwilling to pay the existing N30,000 minimum wage.
“While we agree with the working people that there is economic hardship and a declining standard of living, house ownership is the middle ground in this impasse. It is better than more liquid cash, which could spiral hyperinflation out of hand and lead to mass retrenchment of workers,” Okechukwu added.
His proposal aims to balance the need for improved worker welfare with economic stability, suggesting that house ownership could be a sustainable solution to the ongoing wage dispute.
