A civil society Organisation in Osun State, the Osun Masterminds has called on the Osun State Government under the leadership of Senator Ademola Adeleke to introduce the new minimum wage as a way to reduce the economic hardship on the residents.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli disclosed this at the October Edition of the State of the State address in Thursday in Osogbo.
According to the Director, the state Government should come up with the policy to increase the minimum wage.
“We are calling on the Osun State Government to come up today with the implementation of the new minimum wage, even tomorrow is late, we will even welcome it if they pay more than 70,000, because the economy is biting hard, it is not too much , because if you look at the federal allocation to the State, since the President came on board, it is possible to pay”.
“The message is Nigerians are hungry, is it when everyone is dead that we begin to see the dividend, even the 70,000 now can’t even buy a bag of rice , a bag of rice is 110,000 now, even the middle class has disappeared, fuel prices are hiked as well, they should come to the rescue of yue residents of the State”, he implored.
Prof. Oyedokun-Alli also expressed concerns about the nature in which persons claiming to be acting on behalf of the Osun State Government rushed to take possession of the land and commence bulldozing of existing structures, despite the existence of a valid court judgment.
“We have followed with deep concerns, the ongoing debate about the proposed Livingspring Technical College Housing Estate at a location near Capital Hotel. We are aware of the series of events that has transpired on the land between the Osun State Government and the Gbaemu Royal Family, which culminated in a judgment of the Osun State High Court.
“We call on the Osun State Government to immediately rein in its friends, agents, and representatives, who are currently engaged in this land-grabbing stunt. Osun is not a lawless State where we throw caution to the wind in this manner. The illegality must stop immediately.
In conclusion, Prof. Oyedokun-Alli appealed to public office holders to reduce unnecessary expenses and prioritize empathy with the people. He noted that cutting down on official vehicles is not the only way to reduce the cost of governance.
