Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu PhD, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Anambra State Council, has urged for an urgent harmonisation of salary structures throughout Nigeria in order to raise the standard of life there.
To close the pay disparity between federal and state government employees, he argued for harmonising the remuneration systems of the two levels of government.
Dr. Odogwu made the request while speaking to reporters in Awka, the state capital of Anambra, on Saturday in honour of the UN-designated International Equal Pay Day for Workers.
He said workers under the state civil service are paid below their colleagues at the federal level despite performing similar functions and duties, decrying that workers in some private sector are enslaved.
His words, “It is very appalling that in Nigeria people are taking different salaries. For instance, people working under the federal, state and even the local government are taking different salaries.
“I don’t think it augurs well with workers at the state and council levels, considering the fact that they perfom the same functions and similar duties. They also work under the same economy and shop from the same markets.
“Take a look at the fact that the take home of a director working under federal government is three times more than his colleague in state ministry. Monthly wages of some civil servants in state ministries are laughable, whereas their counterparts at the federal level earn reasonable pay.”
“The worst hit are those under parastatals where someone, after working for so many years, retires without pension and gratuity.”
Condemning the massive exploitation in the private sector, Odogwu said “It is only in the private sector you see a graduate taking home something below minimum wage as monthly salary. Where such employees are paid good salaries, they would ensure they enslave the workers to death.”
Commemorating the 2022 International Equal Pay Day, celebrated 18 September every year, the NUJ chairman urged President Mohammadu Buhari to direct the Salaries and Wages Commission to address the anomalies, discrepancies in salaries of workers and set a benchmark for salaries of both the federal, and state workers, even private sector.
He therefore appealed to private organizations to ensure they pay a reasonable wage to their workers judging from the harsh economic situation in the country.