Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Monday, warned that while those seeking to protest have the right to do so, they lack the right to destabilise the country.
Akpabio also accused politicians who lost out during the last general elections of being behind the protest to take over the government through the backdoor.
He spoke during the signing of the new Minimum Wage by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Senate President who expressed excitement about the Nigerian worker and the National Minimum Wage amendment said, “It is a great day for the workers in the country. We are not only doubling the minimum wage, we have added something on top. Initially, it was N30,000, now it is N70,000.
“Like I said, this is minimum, this is not maximum. Any employer that has a capacity can pay as much as you want. But no Nigerian worker will offer services and be paid anything less than 70,000 from today. That is the implication of this act. It applies all over the nation.
“We are excited that this is happening at a time like this through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; a man who cares for the Nigerian workers. And you’ve seen what we are doing in the National Assembly. When it came, the National Assembly moved and passed the bill in one day out of excitement. We felt that this was not something we could delay. So I think the workers are happy.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on those who are attempting to foment trouble; that you have a right to protest. It is your fundamental right. It is there in the constitution.
“But you don’t have a right to destabilize the country. The right to protest should not be turned into the right to unleash violence. It’s very clear that people who are behind this are very amorphous, very faceless. So what it means is people are preparing to loot and go round and do all sorts of things. Where we are today was not caused by one year’s administration.
“It is the outcome of years of insecurity. Many people could not go to farms for almost 10 years and know that and the President has risen to the occasion. Every food item that is coming in now will come in without anything like a restaurant solution. There’s no restrictions, because Nigerians need to eat. And then at the same time, most things are coming in with a lot of waivers.
“So my appeal to the Nigerian youth is do not allow any group to mislead you politically. People who probably do not have their fortunes in 2023 election are thinking they can come through the back door and that will amount to anarchy. Any destruction of any property will cause Nigeria money. We don’t have the money. Instead, let’s put the money in developing you and developing your environ instead of going to rebuild.”
The Senate President also disclosed that the bill for the amendment of the budget to finance the new minimum wage will be signed on Wednesday.
He added, “We have gone very far with it. And I expect that by Wednesday it will be signed.(the bill to finance the New Minimum Wage).
Also speaking, the representative of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, said the President has shown by signing the bill into law that he cares about the Nigerian people.
“So I think this movement from N30,000 to N70,000 and reducing the negotiation [from five to three] years is a clear demonstration of a commitment to redirect, refocus and reposition Nigeria for greatness.”
