National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Edo State Government recently announced a minimum wage of N70,000, but some are skeptical, labeling it as a hastily assembled ploy ahead of the upcoming governorship election on September 21, 2024.
The Edo N’Okpa Movement, a Benin-based organization, issued a statement through its national convener, Emovon Osaretin, asserting that the proposed N70,000 minimum wage is merely a political tactic aimed at garnering votes ahead of the gubernatorial election.
“In this case, the governor hurriedly rushed to press to announce the minimum wage of N70,000 because he got wind of the review of civil servants’ salaries by 25 percent and 35 percent by the Federal Government,” it said and questioned the N70,000 minimum wage “when the Governor Obaseki’s administration has not been able to pay the N40,000 minimum wage effectively with many workers being owed up to six months in arrears.
“Maybe he is setting booby traps for the next governor since he knows very well that his anointed governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo, cannot win the election in Edo State.”
The group also drew the attention of Governor Obaseki to the Benin-Ugo-Abraka road, leading from Sakponba Road to Abraka, which it said has been ongoing since 2016.
“It is public knowledge that the governor usually deploys caterpillars and bulldozers to this Benin-Ugo-Abraka road and many more across the state every time there is an election, yet not up to 10% of the work has been completed since 2016.
“The governor has again brought another set of equipment to the same road, and they will be retrieved after the election,” the group claimed.
The Edo N’Okpa Movement cautioned Edo workers against selling their votes before the election and urged young people to be cautious, as politicians may try to use them to fuel violence during the polling period.
