Chrys
Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, says his
monthly salary after the deduction of taxes is N942,000.
Speaking on Monday in an interview with Channels Television,
Ngige said he was not entitled to any allowance as a minister except when on
official trips.
“My salary is N942,000 a month. That is 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,” the labour minister said.
“They are all consolidated. After huge taxation, they paid
me N942,000. Every minister you see, that is what you will see. The special
advisers get 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 noted that the federal government recently reviewed
the travel allowance the ministers, permanent secretaries and others are
receiving.
“It was reviewed to N100,000 for a minister, and I think
ministers of states, N75,000; permanent secretaries, N70,000, and down the
line. Level one, everybody else’s own was reviewed, not only our own,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of minimum wage, the labour minister
said the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will not
increase the salaries of workers before leaving office, adding that the next
administration will address the issue of workers’ salaries after assuming
office.
“I’m sure that the incoming government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu will tow the same line and do the necessary fixing. He is a finance
manager. He managed the finances of Lagos very well. He paid the salaries that
needed to be paid and even add the extra payment for the judicial workers in
Lagos. I have no fear about that at all,” Ngige said.
While reacting to the challenge of unemployment, the labour
minister said the responsibility of job creation is a “cross-cutting” issue that should not be left in the hands of
the public sector alone.
Ngige attributed the challenge to the decline in foreign
direct investments.
“The point is that job creation is a cross-cutting thing. It
is not only for the public sector to do,” he said.
“Everybody has it in mind that it is the government that
creates jobs. If we don’t work in a federal ministry or government agency, we
have not got a job. No, the private sector is there.”
