Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo State governorship election, has dismissed the recent increase of the minimum wage to N70,000 as a deceptive gesture that will not influence the electorate.
He has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to provide an account of the N5 billion allocated by the Federal Government for the relief of Edo civil servants. Okpebholo believes that Obaseki’s announcement of the minimum wage increase is a calculated move to divert attention away from the actual issues affecting the people.
Last year, President Bola Tinubu approved N5 billion for each state, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to aid in the procurement of food items for distribution to the underprivileged in their respective states and provide financial support to civil servants for six months.
He said:
“Governor Obaseki is actually owing Edo civil servants arrears of six months. Like other states, Edo got N5 billion from the Federal Government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. In FCT, civil servants were paid additional N35,000 for six months.
“Other states did the same thing and distributed palliatives. In Edo State, Governor Obaseki has been mute. No civil servant got any extra money like their counterparts in other states. Let us begin the conversation from there.
“Obaseki should explain to Edo civil servants and Edo people what he did with the N5 billion. Nobody in Edo State has gotten any palliatives or cash transfers from the Edo State Government. What has Obaseki spent the money on?
“We know that the State Government is keeping billions of naira to buy votes and prosecute the governorship election, where he intends to impose his political stooge on Edo people. Unfortunately for him, the people are wiser, especially the civil servants in the state.
“Civil servants deserve a better deal from the State Government and not a Greek gift to blackmail them to vote for a party that has failed the people of Edo State. There are no good schools, hospitals, roads or housing for civil servants. These are the real issues.
“The promised N70,000 from May is just a survivalist strategy. We are in politics, election is at hand, that is not enough because if you promise N70,000 to workers who are saying they need N200,000 or N155,000 then you have not started.”
