- Laolu Akande advocates for a living wage, attributing Nigerian workers’ plight to decades of poor governance and leadership decisions
- He criticizes the extravagant lifestyles of the elite, contrasting them with the deteriorating conditions faced by the majority of Nigerians
Former Presidential aide, Mr Laolu Akande, is calling for a living wage for Nigerian workers, asserting that the country’s labour force has long been on the receiving end of unfavourable circumstances due to the poor decisions of past leaders.
Akande made these remarks during Channel TV’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” talk show on Friday. His commentary at the outset of the program shed light on the nation’s broader socioeconomic challenges, underlining the urgent necessity of ensuring decent compensation for Nigerian workers.
He attributed the plight of Nigerian workers to decades of subpar governance and ineffective leadership. Akande stressed that the current uproar over the minimum wage issue reflects the dire living conditions experienced by the masses.
According to him, this problem is not exclusive to the present administration or its political figures. Still, it culminates years of inadequate planning, governance inefficiencies, and uninspiring leadership across different levels.
Akande highlighted Nigeria’s significant currency devaluation, linking it to misguided economic policies implemented decades ago. He voiced apprehension over the country’s failure to achieve substantial economic progress. He criticized the extravagant lifestyles of the elite, who seemed detached from the deteriorating conditions faced by the majority.
“In this country, we have seen the ostentatious lifestyles of the privileged,” Akande remarked. “Government leaders carry on as if they can ignore the persistent deterioration of most Nigerians’ living standards.”
He pointed out the stark contrast between leaders’ indulgence and the masses’ neglect, which has pushed many Nigerians into criminal activities to survive. Quoting public intellectual Dr. Charles Apoki, Akande noted, “Criminality is intelligence seeking an outlet for expression amidst oppression and deprivation,” urging the nation to contemplate this viewpoint.
Akande also addressed the declining state of public education in Nigeria, highlighting that many underprivileged students lack access to quality schooling. He emphasized that “millions of children are no longer enrolled in school. Many of those who do attend school do so under makeshift conditions.”