As part of efforts to lessen the effects of the decision to eliminate gasoline subsidies, President Bola Tinubu has announced a N25,000 pay reward for low grade civil service employees.
In his Independence Day Broadcast to the country on Sunday, October 1, Tinubu made the promise and mentioned that the wage boost will last for six months.
Commenting on the situation that Nigerians are currently experiencing and the planned indefinite strike by organised labour, Tinubu claimed to be aware of the difficulties that had arisen.
He claimed to have eyes that see and a heart that feels.
“I want to tell you why we have to go through this difficult time. People who would construct their family mansion in the middle of a swamp are those who sought to maintain the fuel subsidies and flawed foreign exchange policy.
“I am unique. I am not a man to build the foundation for our national residence out of mud. Our house needs to be built on stable, attractive terrain for it to last,” he remarked.
The President said, “Reform may be difficult, but it is necessary for greatness and the future. We now bear the burden of achieving a Nigeria in the future where the nation’s bounty and fruits are properly shared among all, rather than being hoarded by a privileged and greedy few.
“A Nigeria where hunger, poverty, and hardship are relegated to the distant past.”
There is no joy in witnessing the citizens of our country bear burdens that ought to have been released years ago, according to Tinubu. I wish the challenges of today did not exist. But if we want to go to the bright side of our future, we must persevere.
“My government is making every effort to lighten the strain. I’ll now describe the steps we are doing to reduce the burden on our households and families.
“We have started a number of public sector reforms in order to stabilise the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to combat inflation, boost production, protect the security of lives and property, and provide more assistance to the weak and the needy.
In order to raise the federal minimum wage without triggering excessive inflation, we are implementing a provisional salary augmentation based on our discussions with labour, business, and other stakeholders. The average low-grade worker will receive an extra 25,000 naira each month for the following six months.
We established an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in important regions in order to enable stronger grassroots development. Funds have already been distributed to states to help them offset the effects of growing food and other price increases.
“Reducing transport costs will be essential to strengthening the economy. By introducing more affordable, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the country, we have begun a new era in public transit. The fuel costs for these buses will be a tenth of what they are now, which will lower transportation costs.
“New CNG conversion kits will start arriving very soon as we put all of our efforts into accelerating the customarily drawn-out procurement procedure. In order to develop and offer new chances for transport operators and entrepreneurs, we are also putting up training centres and workshops across the country.
“This is a historic time when our country embraces more effective ways to drive our economy. We also create history by making this transformation, Tinubu said in his Independence Day broadcast to Nigerians.
