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The supplementary budget sighted by Dataphyte has revealed the National Assembly approved the budget provision of 45 billion naira to sort out some salary and striking issues of workers of tertiary institutions. The sum amounts to 4.6% of a budget devoted mainly to defence purposes.
Everything increased in price, salary reduced”, Joy Agnes, a low-income earner in Abuja told us. Following the structured resumption of work after the COVID-19 lockdown, Agnes’ employers had renegotiated her contract. The new arrangement meant that instead of working five days a week, she would only work on three alternate weekdays. And while this new arrangement implied lesser pay, she was excited to still have a job; some of her laid off colleagues did not share the same “luck”. Yet, increased responsibility with less pay amid increasing market prices is not the “Nigerian dream”. Not to mention, the increased cost of transportation; a tall order!
For Today’s Numbers to Ponder, 33 States out of 36 States in Nigeria may find it difficult to pay workers’ salaries from the end of May 2020 over dwindling oil revenue. Kaduna and Nasarawa have already announced a pay cut. The Federal Government is expecting another $319m (N121bn) Abacha loot from the UK and France, the US Embassy in Nigeria said. In another news, as COVID-19 wreaks havoc, the United Nations has launched a $7 billion Global Humanitarian Response to help and protect the most vulnerable people in no fewer than 60 of the world’s poorest countries. To continue the fight against Coronavirus, US President Donald Trump has approved 250 ventilators to Nigeria among other countries.
