The N70,000 minimum wage announced by the Edo State Government on April 29 has been criticized as a political ploy ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The Edo N’Okpa Movement, based in Benin, expressed its skepticism in a statement by Emovon Osaretin, its national convener. Osaretin stated, “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 per cent and 35 per cent by the Federal Government.”
The group questioned the timing of the N70,000 minimum wage, particularly “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.”
The statement suggested a political motive, saying, “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, Asue Ighodalo, cannot win the election in Edo state.”
The Edo N’Okpa Movement also highlighted the long-delayed Benin-Ugo-Abraka road project, which it claimed has seen minimal progress since 2016.
They said, “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 group cautioned Edo workers against selling their votes and advised the youth to be vigilant, as politicians might attempt to exploit them to perpetuate acts of violence during the poll.
