WiTH the minimum wage debacle yet to be resolved, senior civil servants are seeking an upward review of their salary.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) said it had sent a memorandum to that effect to the Federal Government.
Its President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, said at the union’s National Executive (NEC) meeting in Abuja that negotiation on the memorandum should begin in earnest to ensure that civil servants were adequately catered for and compensated for their strategic role in nation building.
“It is, indeed, worrisome that patriotic citizens, who have served their fatherland meritoriously for 35 years or attained the retirement age of 60 years while in service cannot be paid their entitlements to enable them keep body and soul together let alone support their dependants. “It must be emphasised that if this trend of subjecting retirees to untold hardship continues, the union will be compelled to begin to consider other trade union actions to seek redress,” he said.
Kaigama said the core civil service, which is the engine room of government, was regrettably the least paid in the public service since other segments thereof have had their emoluments beefed up over the years.
His words: “Even though civil servants, for instance, possess the same qualifications and experience as their counterparts in these parastatals and agencies, yet, the salaries of these other employees are, in most cases, three times more than that of officers in the core ministries.
“This situation has been made worse by the fact that since 2010 when salary relativity was carried out in the core civil service, no salary increment has been granted to civil servants except for the N900 that was added to the emoluments of senior officers across board after N18, 000 was approved as the National Minimum Wage in 2011.”
He said economic diversification holds the key to a robust economy, which creates jobs and reduces poverty and unemployment.
Kaigama said government at all levels should articulate and implement a blueprint for the diversification of the economy.
He said this could be done by leveraging sectors, such as agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, tourism and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to boost productive activities and revenue generation and thereby reducing insecurity.
On corruption, he said corruption remained one of the major challenges facing the nation, adding that this hydra-headed monster has continued to loom large in the country in spite of the initial steps taken to address the menace by the present administration.
“Corruption in Nigeria has assumed a very big proportion that can be described as horrendous. The political class should know that there is no way this country can be inspired to greatness if this beast is not decapitated and rooted out of our system before it leads to catastrophic consequences.
“The Federal Government is, therefore, advised to strengthen and reposition the anti-graft agencies such that diligent prosecution of corrupt officials, total recovery of looted funds and an end to the pillaging of public treasury can be guaranteed,” he said.
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