Following the proposal of state governors to reduce the N18,000 national minimum monthly wage, allegedly due to the reduction of the price of oil, many Nigerians and lawmakers from both sides of the legislative sector, have been making their feelings clear about the proposal.
One of such lawmakers is PDPs Senator Ben Murray Bruce who posted his 10 point argument on his Twitter page.

1-Its unjust for a government to contemplate reducing workers pay of ₦18,000. What can that amount buy in today’s Nigeria?

2-A worker with a family earns less than a member of the NYSC who earns ₦19,800. Reducing his pay is unconscionable!

3-A man earning ₦18k struggles to pay rent, feed family & pay school fees. To reduce his pay is to punish his family

4-At Silverbird all our 1000 staff/family earn above minimum wage because I can’t afford not to pay my staff well

5-Why can’t I afford not to pay my staff well? Because if I don’t pay them well, I am giving them a license to steal

6-If FG & state govts dont pay workers well they invite workers to steal. To end corruption we must pay workers well

7-Anybody thinking of reducing the ₦18,000 minimum wage should himself first try and live on ₦18,000 for a month

8-You cannot be spending more than ₦18,000 per meal and claim that the man who earns ₦18,000 per month is over paid.

9-In the last 4 years the cost of food & fuel has gone up. Can we in good faith make a case for reducing workers pay?

10-I know for a fact that even dogs at Government House cost more than ₦18k to maintain in a month. How much more a human being!

Senator Ben Murray Bruce is the Chairman of Silverbird Group which recently celebrated 35 years.
Senator Murray Bruce also known as the “commonsense advocate” said that he founded Silverbird with a loan of twenty thousand naira (N20,000) from his father in 1980 and he is happy that it has become a business empire, employing and creating jobs for thousands of Nigerians and others.