From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Chief Executive Officer of Coralworker.com, Lynda Chinenye Ogbonnaya, has observed that most domestic workers in Nigeria receive peanuts as salaries.
Ogbonnaya said it was ridiculous for cleaners, cooks, drivers, drycleaners, gardeners to be paid paltry sums despite their hard work and dedication.
She stated this yesterday in Abuja when she presented an award tagged ‘Genuine Humane Employer,’ to Habeeb Okunola, for prioritising the welfare of his staff.
She disclosed that her organisation had secured jobs for over 500 people since coming on board, with a salary scale of N45,000 to 50,000 regardless of their academic qualifications.
“When you see what is going on in Nigeria, we are in dire problems as in daily survival which is food.
“Our organisation works with grassroots people; those who come to and beg for N50 for them to eat. And what comes to your mind is to tell them to tell them to go find jobs.
“What jobs do they have to do? Menial jobs. Now, what our organisation has been doing is to provide jobs for this individuals, provide basic training so that they can function efficiently.
“Provide them access to standard paying jobs. When you come to and someone tells you that he is a domestic staff, what comes to your mind is where they are paying people N10, 000 and N15,000.
“But we have a standard here. When we place you at jobs, the benchmark you are required to be paid, irrespective of your age, is a minimum of N40,000 to N50,000.
“You do not require skills, education or some sort of special skills, function in these jobs. We also ensure that employers treat you right, that is why we are honouring this man (Alhaji Habeeb) today.
“We expect employers to treat workers in a humane manner. Even though we are propagate this gospel across the country that people should be lifted out of poverty, we cannot do it by magic.
“We have the tech hubs that are coming out to show people how to build tech products and develop.
“But before they get to that aspect, they have to eat. How they eat? It is by jobs they can do now. And that is what we are providing; immediate respite.
