COVID-19: Ali Ndume Wants FG, States To Slash Workers’ Salaries

The lawmaker representing Borno South in the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has advised federal and state governments to slash the salaries of workers.
He said this on Monday in an interview uploaded by Channels TV.
According to him, workers’ salaries can be cut since they are yet to resume fully.
This, Ndume said, was a means of sacrifice from the workers.
He, however, recommended that palliatives should be given to the workers to supplement the salary cut.
He said, “Government should critically look at the personnel and recurrent expenditure which consumes about 70 percent of the budget. Money should be pumped into capital.
“People should make sacrifices. This is the time to look at issues critically. But as I said, When I talk like this – and make my opinion – people look at it and call me all sorts of names. But I try to express myself.
“I think there should be more sacrifice, especially on the personnel side. How can you sustain the same personnel and overhead costs when even the work that you are doing… most people don’t go to the office now, and they are being paid fully for the month.
“Is there any justification for that? If you cannot work because of the pandemic, then you should be given palliatives and be paid less.”
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government had asked civil servants below Grade Level 14 to stay at home.
The Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, in a memo to all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies on April 30 said, “Officers on GL 14 and above and those on essential services are hereby directed to resume work with effect from Monday, May 4, 2020, in the first instance.
“Offices are to open three times a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – and close at 2:00 p.m. on each day.”