Can Labour Party’s Ayodele Olorunfemi deliver N120,000 minimum wage?

Ondo citizens are left to ponder the promises of Ayodele Olorunfemi, the Labour Party‘s governorship candidate, as he vows to increase the minimum wage for state workers to N120,000 if elected in the upcoming November 16 election.

In an interview on Tuesday in Lagos, Olorunfemi highlighted the soaring cost of living as the primary reason for this proposed wage hike.

“As of 2023, when we were campaigning, we assured our people that LP would be paying a minimum of N80,000 minimum wage in Ondo, that was before the economy got to where it is today,” he stated.

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Olorunfemi emphasized that the current economic climate necessitates a minimum wage that reflects the socio-economic realities of the country.

“With the situation in the market now, looking at the cost of living, if this state is put under our control, we shall not pay anything less than N120,000 as minimum wage. That is the minimum we can pay and we believe we will be able to afford it.”

He also mentioned plans to engage more workers and enhance their productivity to boost the state’s internally generated revenue. “The fact that I know is that what we have now can pay the minimum wage. We want our workers to be productive so that more wealth can come to the state,” he said.

Furthermore, Olorunfemi outlined his vision for infrastructure development in Ondo, including the construction of a dry port to alleviate traffic inflow into Lagos. “When we take over as LP, the first agenda is to make sure there is a port in Ondo state to boost business and the economy.

We are working with the Alaba International Market Association in Lagos. We are going to work on how to have our dry port decongest Alaba International Market in Lagos. We are getting a dry port at Ore and a very big international market that will reduce traffic inflow to Lagos,” he explained.

As Ondo citizens weigh the feasibility of these promises, the upcoming election will determine whether Olorunfemi’s ambitious plans will come to fruition.