The salary of Mr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment has generated mixed reactions from social media commentators following his revelation he earn ₦942,000 monthly.
What Led to the Statement
Ngige was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. While speaking with the anchor, the former governor that ministers don’t have allowances except when they have to travel for work which gives them duty allowance.
More Read
In the words of the former Senator:
My salary is ₦942,000 a month. My salary with my PA — gross total after tax — my feeding, my transport, the transport of one PA, the salary of my gardener, my cook, they are all consolidated. After heavy taxation, they pay me ₦942,000.
Every minister you see, that is what it is; special advisers earn around that amount too. The allowances are not anything, we don’t have any allowances except if you travel. You can get duty tour allowance like every other public officer.
Ngige also affirmed that the travel allowance the ministers receive was recently reviewed alongside that of permanent secretaries among others.
It was reviewed to ₦100,000 for a minister, and I think ministers of states, ₦75,000; permanent secretaries, ₦70,000, and down the line. Level one, everybody else’s own was reviewed, not only our own
Reactions From Netizens on His Payments in Comparison to What Nigerians Earn
A tweep, Emmanuel Abbey responded:
Wetin be Ngige Work wey him dey collect such amount of money? He suppose to be pay ₦30,000 because him be civil servant.
On his part, another respondent, Okoronkwo Chizuzor lamented that the Minister’s monthly salary is his per annum and despite working 14 years, he has less than ₦1.5 million as pensions.
That’s my salary per annum. I’ve put in about 14 years in service and my pension is less than 1.5 million naira.
Why won’t people see politics in Nigeria as a do or die affair?
Musa Yakubu Mustapha said:
He rendered his service diligently for 43 years and for about 15 years his family were in the United States but refused to join them because he loves what he does here in Nigeria. And the same Ngige believes that kind of person doesn’t deserve the same salary he’s getting.
For Chukwudimma Oji,
This salary is worth 31 workers’ pay per month. This is small for you, sir, but if only you can disguise yourself and hit the street, you will see that a lot of families are in dire need for only 1,000NGN to have a momentary feeding….
Princess Anita on her part can’t decipher how he bought APC presidential form for ₦100m and not giving up his ministerial appointment:
He earn such which he use to pay his trailer load staffs and yet he bought APC form for #100m but refuse to give up his ministerial position before they can contest in the primaries.
Who does Ngigi thinks he is deceiving 🤔 🤔
Ngige’s Reaction On Why Government Has Not Reduced Unemployed Rate in the Country
When he was asked why the government had not been able to bring down the unemployment rate which had risen to 33.3 percent in 2021, Ngige argued that job creation was a responsibility of the private sector, not just the public sector.
He then went on to blame the decline in foreign direct investment for the growing rate of unemployment in the country.
Earlier in the day at the May Day Celebration, Dr. Chris Ngige had jokingly lashed his fellow countryman and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who was present at the Eagle Square to go to the field and canvass for votes instead of coming around to celebrate with them.
