Reducing Minimum Wage Will Increase Corruption – Senator Bruce

Ben Murray-Bruce, the senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, has revealed that governors spend more than N18, 000 for the upkeep of their dogs in the various government houses across the country.  Based on this, the senator maintained that it was wicked for governors to advocate for a reduction of the N18, 000 minimum wage.  Senator Ben Murray- Bruce made this known on Monday in a series of tweets from his official Twitter handle.  Murray-Bruce compared the monthly allowance of N20, 000 given to the National Youth Service Corps to the N18, 000 minimum wage given to civil servants, including family men.  He added that with the high rate of inflation in the country, reducing the minimum wage will make no sense.  He said in his tweets: “I know for the fact that even dogs at Government House cost more than N18, 000 to take care of in a month. How much more a human being?  “It is unjust for a government to contemplate reducing workers’ pay of N18, 000. What can that amount buy in today’s Nigeria?  “A worker with a family earns less than a member of the NYSC who earns 19,800.Reducing his pay is unconscionable. A man earning N18, 000 struggles to pay rent, feed his family and pay school fees. To reduce his pay is to punish his family.  “In the last four years, the cost of food and fuel has gone up. Can we, in good faith, make a case for the reduction of workers’ pay?”  The senator emphasised that reducing the minimum wage would make workers indulge in sharp practices to augment their income and it will increase the rate of corruption in the country.