Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said no federal public servant, including elected and appointed officials, will earn more than civil servants if he is elected President of Nigeria in 2023.
Obi made the promise in his manifesto titled, ‘It’s POssible: Our Pact with Nigerians’.
In the manifesto, which highlighted seven priority areas for his administration, Obi said he would walk with the National Assembly to harmonise the salaries of public and civil servants in the country.
“Direct executive action and push for legislative mandate aimed at formulating a policy on Common Regimentation Emolument Structure Table (CREST) that will harmonize the wages of the federal public servants so that public servants (whether elected or appointed) are not ranked or earn higher than career civil servants and the military such as those in the judiciary, academia, para-military, and federal statutory agencies.
“Those in these cadres should earn the same salary and the same prescribed perquisites. This will aid in cutting the cost of governance while promoting amity. It will also address the incessant strikes that bedevil our country, particularly our tertiary institutions,” Obi said in the manifesto.
The former Anambra State governor said he would resolve the national minimum wage problem by doing away with the extant salary structure and introducing an hourly productivity-based national minimum rate, by which public and private sector employers should pay their employees based on their actual productivity.
While stating that he would drive the legislation to retain a National Minimum Wage with a binding effect and application across all of Nigeria’s States and Local Governments, the LP presidential candidate said he would ensure that non-payment of salaries, wages, pensions, entitlements, benefits, and violation of collective bargaining agreements are criminalised.
He added that such measures would reduce poverty and inequality and enhance the social solidarity necessary for a development bargain.
Obi further promised that he would submit an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for a consolidated Occupational Health and Safety Act to revamp and improve on the 2012 Labour, Safety, Health, and Welfare (LSHW) Bill.
He also stated that he would articulate a policy framework in line with the constitutional provisions of the Federal Character principle that offers opportunities to all Nigerians to serve in any capacity in the public sector anywhere in the country.
The LP presidential candidate promised to operate a National Unity Government by embracing competent Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora with proven integrity, honesty, diligence and commitment to governance, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“Our government will be a melting pot of Nigeria’s best and brightest in character, competence and capacity,” he stressed.
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