Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the 2023 Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, has commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for increasing the state’s minimum wage to N85,000.
The governorship candidate also noted that the approval of the amount was not enough for the rising cost of living in the state. He made the comments on Wednesday in a post on his X handle.
In an interview granted on Wednesday by the governor, he disclosed that the state government and the unions in the state had agreed to the payment for the payment of N85,000 as the new minimum wage in the state, which was past part of the discussion held by the government of the state on Wednesday.
The governor noted that the state government had increased the salary of the workers earlier in the years to the staff who deserved the increase. The governor noted that the government was making efforts to increase the salary of workers in the state by January by N100,000, which is an effort that is being made to ensure that the workers have a living wage rather than just minimum wage.
The governorship candidate, in his statement released on social media, noted that the workers in the state should at least have a minimum of N100,000 as the minimum wage for the workers, which is due to the high rate of living conditions in the state’s high costs of transportation and rent. He also noted that the state has been ranked as the second nationally in the average price of a healthy diet, making it the second most expensive city in the country to feed.
The ex-LP governorship candidate lamented the governor for his brags about increasing the state’s budget from N600 billion to over N1 trillion, saying it was less important than the state’s poor infrastructure and low investment in human capital and education outcomes, among other things.
He noted that The city still grapples with poor infrastructure, low investment in human capital and education outcomes, a struggling public transportation network, increasing slums and informal communities, and very few social welfare programs. These are the issues that truly matter to the people of Lagos, not just the size of the budget.
He went further to note that it was necessary to note that over 70% of Lagos State’s operating revenue comes from taxes, with PAYE (Pay As You Earn) contributing 45%. This means the state’s wealth, which the governor seems to take all the credit for, is primarily generated by citizens’ hard work.
Rhodes-Vivour, in his publication, further questioned the benefits the state’s residents were getting from the huge tax that had been paid. He continued by asking if the children have access to quality public education, an efficient and affordable public transportation system, well-maintained roads, and readily available social housing. Can residents easily access capital for entrepreneurship?
He noted that issues raised are the real measures of a government’s success, not just the size of its budget. He explained that boasting about an aggressive and exploitative tax system without commensurate investment in public goods is more characteristic of a conglomerate than a supposedly progressive government.
He further noted that the the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state had wasted 24 years, barely scratching the surface,” as he lamented the slow development rate in the state.
