Minimum Wage: Falz Reacts to Government’s Negotiation With Labour, Says “It is heartless”

• Nigerian hip hop star Falz the Bahd Guy voiced out his reservations about the government's delay in increasing workers' minimum wage
• Recall that the authorities are yet to meet the demands of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress after they proposed a N250,000 wage
• During an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, the rapper who recently launched his new EP, discussed what the government ought to have done in place of goading labour unions

Nigerian rapper and singer Folarin Falana, also known as Falz the Bahd Guy, has shared his take on the recent episode between the government and labour unions (Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress).

Recall that the national bodies have been in back-and-forth negotiations over the new minimum wage for workers.

Legit.ng reported that days ago, the unions went on a nationwide strike, shutting down the country's electrical infrastructure and airports to demand "a living wage" from the government.

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While organised labour's demand has dropped from N494,000 to N250,000 as the federal government raised the proposed national minimum wage from N60,000 to N62,000, singer Falz is disappointed by the scheming process.

Falz knocks Ginubu's government

In an exclusive chat with Legit.ng, the Bop Daddy hitmaker who recently launched his new EP "Before The Feast" noted that the labour unions didn't have to go on strike first for the authorities to be reminded of citizens' demands.

"It shouldn't have taken the NLC or whoever is involved to shut down the whole country for the government to know that the people deserve more than that. I think it is heartless, not compassionate."

Highlighting ways Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government has not met people's expectations, Falz was vocal about his frustration. 

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"Everyone was hoping that they would enter and surprise us, but they didn't.

"Well, it's not surprising of this government. We know how they got in power. A legitimate government is one that the people accept as their representation. Can you say this is a legitimate government?"

Falz shares how NLC strike affected him

The rapper spoke up during the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) nationwide strike that took place on Monday, June 3.

Falz was in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, that weekend to participate in the charity football match hosted by the Super Eagles player Troost Ekong. He revealed that he was about to leave for Lagos when he was told that the airport had been shut down due to the strike action.

The rapper, who had some businesses to handle in Lagos, was stuck in the south-south region. He noted that he was fine staying back even though he had lost a huge sum of money for that. He added that the reason the NLC was embarking on the action - a demand for the increment of the minimum wage from N30k to over N400k - was valid.

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Minimum wage: "We known N494k cannot be afforded", labour opens up in video

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng