Reverend Isaac Gbadero, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Sabongari, Zaria, Kaduna State, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to slash the salaries of political office holders to comfortably accommodate the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by organised labour.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, he made the call in a message to the Christian faithful in commemoration of the 2018 Christmas, shortly after Christmas Church Service in Zaria.
Gbadero said the appeal became extremely critical in view of the importance of workers not only to national growth and development but also to sustainable democracy.
The clergyman expressed serious concern over the meagre amount being given to Nigerian civil servants as monthly salary, advising that government must holistically give the issue a firsthand treatment.
He said, “See how much they are paying themselves in the House of Representatives and the Senate (National Assembly) and see the small change they are giving as basic salary.
“Look at the current argument now, some governors are saying it is hard to pay the proposed minimum wage. What is wrong in them slashing their own salary? Is it wrong for the president to reduce his own money? Is it wrong for the senators and Reps to reduce their own salary?
“Let them slash their salaries and give us what belongs to us, have they come to lead people who are suffering? If not, why can’t they sacrifice for the sake of the nation?
“If they desire good things for themselves they should also desire good things for Nigerians too. People should know, those who are not leading us well, we can change them at the polling booth, therefore, there is no need to make trouble.
“Let’s come together, there is no need to fight ourselves, whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Pagan, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Kanuri, Ibibio or Kalabari, we go to the same market.
“But these people don’t come to market, they use our tax money to buy all what they want, why can’t we get wiser. Let them stop using us to kill ourselves, let’s come together and elect credible people who care for us.”
