facing an ordeal that no citizen of Nigeria
should be allowed to see. Persons who spent the better part of their productive years in the service of their State should not be rewarded with evil.
About 3,000 workers are said to have woken up one day and heard that the Imo State Government was no longer responsible for their salaries anymore. Yet, this is a government that had promised a better deal for the people and employment for the army of the unemployed in the State.
According to our source, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State had directed that workers in all the parastatals and agencies of the State Government should be notified that the State Government would no longer be responsible for their salaries.
The Tide thinks that this is highly condemnable and pathetic. We think that even when all laid down procedures may have been exhausted and government may have to dispense with any of its staff, the rules of disengagement in the public service are very clear. Affected staff must get their severance benefits including gratuity and pension. It is the law.
But to heartlessly tell persons who had suffered all the deprivations in the civil service for decades and have planned to, at least, end well, that they are on their own is simply wicked, and insensitive. This can kill.
The Imo State saga is particularly bad because their Governor belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that promised to give Nigerians a better deal in all ramifications. Besides, Governor Okorocha himself had boasted that he would not need federal allocations to run Imo State as he would make it a business hub.
We note the earlier outcry of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum that they could no longer pay the N18,000.00 minimum wage. Consequently, they want to reduce salary or remove some civil servants from work. The condemnation of that plan by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigerian people is instructive.
It is true that revenue accruing to the nation from oil has dropped, this is when governors should prove their mettle. As governors, they have no reason complaining like some group of employees. Indeed, the NGF should approach the Federal Government and come up with a winning plan. If for nothing, they should ask to exploit the natural resources in their States.
The Governors Forum ought to tell their members to take the lead in cutting cost. At least, they can reduce the number of Commissioners, Special Assistants, Advisers and political hangers-on. They should review downwards the remuneration of political appointees, including their own.
The forum should have advised its members to emulate the Federal Government and cut down on the number of boards and agencies. Indeed, they should cut down on overseas trips, acquisition of needless items like aircrafts and fleet of SUVs among others.
They should have hidden their disgust for the civil service and at least told the truth that no government in Nigeria is paying the N18,000.00 minimum wage yet. That amount for Nigeria is a scandal. In fact, before the recent drop in the value of the Naira, Nigerians were second to the least paid in the world.
It is sad that the political class fails to consider the consequence of what they are asking for. Nigeria is already burdened with an army of the unemployed and pestered by criminality that defies solution; to relieve more of their jobs will worsen the social space.
On the other hand, the reduction of salaries will reduce the purchasing power of the work force. This will result in drop in purchases, hence, production will drop, companies will fold and it will become “everyone for himself and God for us all.” Indeed, many children will get out of school.
Okorocha may have tested the waters for some governors, but Nigerians must not fail to see where the great fall is coming from. At a time, government has made kerosene more expensive and watched the Naira fall; any executive recklessness can be catastrophic for the people.
The political class has enjoyed it in good times and in bad times and has always made the civil servants the sacrificial lambs. They call the shots and serve themselves and all that the civil servants want is job security and pension. If they touch these, they destroy this nation.
We are happy that it is not all the governors that are looking for the easy path. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has committed to paying the minimum wage and keeping his staff. In addition, he has continued to build roads, etc. This is the kind of person that qualifies to govern.
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