Minimum Wage: Charimastic Bishops urges Labour not to shut down Nigeria

By Palma Ileye

The Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has called on the Organised Labour not to completely shut down economy activities as it continues negotiation with the Federal Government on the face-off over the agitation on increase in the minimum wage of Civil servants.

President General and General Secretary of the umbrella body of over 600 Archbishops and Bishops in the country, Archbishop Prof Leonard Bature Kawas and Bishop Chivic made the appeal on Sunday in Abuja.

The two who scored the Tinubu’s administration high, asked Nigerians to be patient with the government saying it took the right step by removing fuel subsidy.

They also disclosed of the commencement of the 10th edition of the Charismatic Bishops Synod from June 11th to 13th, during which the body, aside praying for the government, Military and Para-military organisations will give awards to deserving Nigerians including the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu as well as wife of Vice President, Nana Shettima Kashim.

Bishop Kawas said; “We are here to announce the Charismatic Bishops Synod which will begin from 11th if June and we are going to be gathering at the Christian Centre, Abuja on June 12th at 12 noon for a special prayer. We are going to be praying for our democracy, leaders, government and for the peace of God to reign in Nigeria.

“We will pray for our military and para-military services. We are very particular about the current situation, the conflict between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress and TUC and we are praying that government will succeed in achieving a workable agreement and that Labour also must understand that the government is not the enemy of Labour and Labour is not an enemy of government.

“They must negotiate as partners in progress because it is Nigerians that are suffering. When that happens, it is we, the clergy men they run to. We want to assure the government that we are behind them in prayer and we want the story of Nigeria to change for good.

“The government has shown signs that they are willing to do well but we all know that there are challenges, we want to see good things happening in Nigeria. It is true that while. the expectations are so high, the effort of government too is very high. Some if roads that were abandoned in Abuja for many years, have now completed and that is a plus fir the government but we want them to achieve even more. They should succeed in poverty alleviation and the suffering of Nigerians and every other areas and that is why we present ourselves as partners in progress.

“We are using June 12th to pray calling on God and to invoke the spirit of God so that when we are celebrating next year, we will even see more successes.”

On his part, Bishop Chiaison who also is CAN Secretary General, Benue State Labour should be careful not to shoot up the minimum wage so as not invite inflation.

“We want to sue for peace as negotiations are ongoing and we need to be very careful because if you shoot it too high, that will not be too good for the country. Labour saying N250, 000 is not going to augur well for our economy, prices of food will go very high.

“Government is proposing N60, 000, may be a little bit more but it should not be done in a hurry.

“Government is doing very well. The Government of Bola Tinubu taking away the fuel subsidy regime is a very brilliant one. The government has been taking the right step from day one.

“Minimum wage, yes, but we should be careful so that we invite inflation like a thunderbolt Government is not just about people working and being paid salaries, there is much more than that. You are not going to say that other aspects of business of government should shut down because you want to pay workers, probably not upto five percentage of the population of the entire country,” he explained.