Awka – The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Awka, Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor, has appealed to the 36 state governors to increase workers’ salaries in line with current realities.
Ezeokafor made the call in Awka on Monday during the presentation of a car to Rev. Fr. Obinna Dike, a staff of the diocese.
The car was donated by FIDES Communications, the publishers of FIDES newspaper of the Catholic Diocese.
The bishop said that N18,000 as minimum wage was not enough to meet the basic needs of workers.
“I know that N 18, 000 minimum wage is nothing if we consider what it takes to live on daily basis, and what is N18, 000?
“Is it the food you are going to eat, is it the housing? If somebody really maintains N18, 000 per month, how long will it take him to marry a wife if he is a man.
“How long will it take him to build a house; if he becomes sick suddenly and has to go to the hospital, how can the person meet up? So, it is nothing.
“Of course the proper thing is to give people living wage, because there is a salary you give a person and you tempt that person to do other things in order to meet up in order to meet up.“
Ezeokafor described the recipient of the car as “a dedicated staff worthy of his reward”.
According to him, a good reward system is a good way of discouraging corruption in the system.
He identified poor management of the nation’s resource as the bane of the Nigerian society and advised workers in the private and public sectors to continue to do their best to build a better Nigeria.
In his acceptance speech, Dike, who is also a FIFA Grade I Coach, expressed gratitude to the donors and pledged to offer more selfless service to the organisation. (NAN)
