Ndume criticises Tinubu’s govt again, says minimum wage can only buy bag of rice

Borno South senator Ali Ndume has criticised the new N70,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu for Nigerian workers.

Mr Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the president, said the approved minimum wage cannot sustain a household because it can only buy 50kg of rice.

The senator stated this in a viral video posted by Channels Television on Friday.

President Tinubu and the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) met on Wednesday at the State House and agreed on the new minimum wage.

While the government reviewed its offer from N62,000 to N70,000, the labour leaders led by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, brought their demand down from N250,000, which they had earlier proposed at the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee on New Minimum Wage.

The labour leaders have since accepted the new wage.

Mr Ndume, who was removed as Senate chief whip on Wednesday for criticising President Tinubu, advised him to review the new minimum wage to show solidarity with Nigerians.

“People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that yesterday, the president agreed with NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but it takes more than that because, realistically, that is like a bag of rice, money that will buy a bag of rice or cover the cost of a bag of rice.

“So, I call on the president to still open up and listen to the people,” Mr Ndume said.

The outspoken senator was fired as Senate principal officer following a letter from Abdullahi Ganduje, the APC national chairman and Basiru Ajibola, the party’s national secretary.

In the letter, the APC leaders referenced an interview Mr Ndume granted where he criticised the Tinubu administration and subsequently recommended that the Senate relieve him (Ndume) of his position.

In response to the letter, Mr Ndume reiterated that many Nigerians are angry because of the harsh economy.

Cost of basic foodstuff

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES reviewed Mr Ndume’s comment and discovered that a bag of rice costs over N70,000, the new minimum wage.

In a market survey by this newspaper on Saturday, 50kg of rice is sold between N78,000 and N79,000.

Also, 50kg of white garri is sold between N57,000 and N58,000, while 50kg of brown beans is N130,000. Yam is N8,000 for five pieces while a basket of tomatoes goes for N10,000.

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In May, The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the country recorded an increase in the price of five essential food items by 140.4 per cent in April.

According to the NBS, the food items are local rice, garri, tomatoes, beans and yams.