“Could Be Replaced By Robots”: Lawmaker Reportedly Moves against New Minimum Wage

• A lawmaker in the Anambra state House of Assembly, Hon Tony Muobike, is reportedly making a move against a new minimum wage
• Muobike was accused of saying that state civil servants could be replaced by robots and do not deserve a better wage
• Organised Labour is currently demanding a new minimum wage from the Nigerian government and the private sector

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy

Awka, Anambra state—There are indications that workers in Anambra state may find the proposed N62,000 minimum wage payment difficult. A lawmaker and member representing Aguata II Constituency, Honourable Tony Muobike, allegedly said workers did not deserve a better wage.

Muobike reportedly bullied Labour leaders and said workers would be replaced with robots as they are not worth higher wages.

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The state secretaries of NLC and TUC, Comrades Gaius Chukuka and Alex C. Ebi, respectively, in a joint statement, described the lawmaker’s behaviour as weird, ThisDay reports.

“His immature attitude shows the disconnect between him and his constituency. Without cause, he callously accused Anambra workers of not deserving a minimum wage and could be replaced by Robots. The question was, were the workers protesting against Prof Charles Soludo, the state governor he was allegedly defending? He is lacking all the qualities of a lawmaker in modern times to have uttered such gutter words."

The statement added:

"It is quite unfortunate and if Hon. Anthony Muobike is honourable as claimed, he should be apologizing to Nigerians and workers of Anambra State over his sabotage of the struggle of the labour unions to alleviate the hardship on Nigerians.”

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Minimum wage: Jubilation as state governor discloses readiness to pay FG's new offer

As reported by Vanguard, the state government and the organized labour have, in the interim, resolved the knotty issue of the minimum wage for the state workers.

Soludo warns Tinubu against unsustainable minimum wage

Legit.ng earlier reported that Soludo sent a serious warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu about adopting an unrealistic amount as new national minimum wage.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governor stated that any misstep from the president would later come back on his head.

He argued that the proposed N250,000 by the organised labour is not feasible in Nigeria's present-day economy.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng

Source: Legit.ng