Wale Jagun
-Students’ loan, consumers’ credit would bring comfort
The Chairman House of Representatives on Defense, Rep. Babajimi Benson, has stated that the minimum wage increment was initiated as a policy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and not the organized labour’s initiative.
The minimum wage review has caused a lot of controversies between the federal government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), and led to the declaration of an indefinite strike last week.
Rep. Benson, who is a three – term lawmaker representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, explained that the review of the minimum wage is part of the agenda of the current administration, and not what is being forced on them by the labour.
The lawmaker, who made the disclosure at the commissioning of Ori-Okuta road that he facilitated in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, at the weekend, also assured his constituents that other policies initiated by the federal government would soon make live comfortable for Nigerians.
“At the federal level, APC is doing many things that you (residents) are not privy to. Number one, the minimum wage discussion is ongoing but it is not the labour union that is making President Tinubu to do review the minimum wage”, he said.
“He (President Tinubu) has the plan to increase the minimum wage as part of his agenda.
“We have also introduced the Students’ Loan and anyone anywhere can apply for it to reduce the pressure on your parents. Anyone from Ori Okuta, Agbede, Imota and other areas of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, can apply and you would be given.
“Once you apply, the federal government would give you N500, 000 to aid your education. This is good for our educational development”, he said.
While also stating that the Consumer’s Credit, another policy of the government, is for the betterment of the citizenry, Rep. Benson added that citizens would start reaping the benefits of these policies in the next few months.
“The third one is the Consumer Credit. It means that anyone can access any business appliance; be it refrigerator, vehicle or others, with the government guaranteeing it and you can pay back in instalment. This is also a good initiative”.
“In the next couple of months, all these would be available to be accessed and the country would be comfortable for us”, he assured.
