Planned reduction in workers’ salaries: FG is provoking, inciting us to react, NASU warns

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Sunday warned that the Federal Government is provoking Nigerian workers and inciting them towards negative actions.

General Secretary of NASU Comrade Peters Adeyemi, said the decision of the Federal Government to reduce salaries of civil servants is insensitive, provocative, and inciting.

“The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) views the recent pronouncement by the Federal government that the government has decided to reduce salaries of Federal civil servants as an act of insensitivity, provocative, and inciting.” Comrade Adeyemi said in a statement.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, was reported to have said that the review of salaries of civil servants and some Federal agencies as part of measures to reduce the cost of governance.

She was further quoted to have said that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has been directed to review salaries of civil servants and some Federal agencies.

Comrade Adeyemi, however, believes that President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to yield to the pressure from some individuals in his administration, who continue to urge him to retrench workers, adding that the union also noted that his administration has continued to pay salaries regularly.

He said: “To us in NASU, these are among the actions of this government that are commendable. There is, however, no other way of looking at the current decision of the Federal government other than a victory for those in the administration, who continue to be insensitive to the plight of Nigerian workers. Unfortunately, rather than leaving workers to remain in their current state of abject poverty, they have decided to provoke and incite them against the same government they are working for.

“No government official who wishes Nigerian workers well and is interested in the peace of the country will advise on this line of policy direction at this time when workers are still struggling with the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. A time when the cost of living is extremely high as a result of hyperinflation, the extreme cost of food items as well as increases in electricity tariffs and the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).”

He added: “The reason given by the Minister of Finance for this policy statement is the desire of the government to reduce the cost of governance. We wish to remind the Minister and her co-travelers, that the principal factor that is responsible for bloated recurrent expenditure is the salaries and allowances of political officeholders.

“There is duplication of functions among these officials, who include but not limited to Ministers, Ministers of State, Special Advisers, Special Assistants and their retinue of personal staff. This was well captured in the Report of the Adamu Fika Committee set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan to review Public Sector Reforms.”

Comrade Adeyemi pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to have a rethink of this policy direction at a time when for the same economic reasons, a country like the United States of America is considering raising her minimum pay to 15 dollars an hour.

“To continue on this line of policy will only provoke Nigerian workers and incite them towards negative actions that may lead to unintended outcomes,” he warned.

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