The Edo Government has favoured proper restructuring of the Nigerian economy deliberately to effectively address workers’ welfare and cost of living instead of current plans to increase wages.

Mr Philip Shaibu, Deputy Governor of Edo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin that the constant agitation by the labour for increase in workers’ wages would not address their economic woes as “effective restructuring of the economy will so do”.

“The call for increment of wages will not solve workers’ economic challenges; what will is to fix the Nigerian economy to the level that whatever salaries that we call wages will take us home.

“A situation where you increase salary to either N100,000 or to any amount and simultaneously, there is inflation, the value of that money will become tissue paper.

“What we need to do is to restructure our economy to the extent that even if you are being paid N10,000, it can conveniently take care of yourself and your family and your utilities.

“And until we do that, systematic increment of wages cannot solve workers’ problems,” he said.

The deputy governor also called for a holistic approach to resolving the constant demand for increase in workers’ salaries through the revival of ailing sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“We need to fix our utility system; water, light and transportation. Until we fix those three areas, no matter the amount you receive, inflation of the same percentage will eat it over.’’

Shaibu also called for a national discourse where some of the burning issues including economic challenges could be addressed.

“So I think what we need to do as a country is to have a discussion. A whole lot of economic issues need to be addressed.

“How do we fix the light? How do we fix our rail system? Let’s have a holistic plan for our transport system.

“Let us have a working system that will ensure that a civil servant can happily go to work knowing that his expenses will not go beyond his salary.

“Until that is done, I think this whole issue of salary increment will not work. So, it is not about the quantum, it is about having an effective working economy,” he said. (NAN)

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