The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to sack the Directors-General, Assistant Directors, and Deputy Directors in federal parastatals because of the merger of some ministries.
ASCSN Secretary-General Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal said in Lagos on Monday that the plea was sequel to speculations in the media that many Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors, and Directors in federal ministries would be relieved of their duties the same way Permanent Secretaries were sacked by the government.
He emphasised that the directorate cadre in the ministries are made up of career officers whose appointments are guided by the Public Service Rules (PSR) and the Federal Civil Service Commission’s guidelines on appointment, promotion, and discipline as well as the scheme of service. He noted that they are not political appointees like Permanent Secretaries that can be removed at will.
In a related event, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State chapter, has raised concerns about the economy, saying it is in a very bad shape and that the country is obviously not prepared for any sustained fall in crude oil price as global analysts forecast.
It noted that global analysts like Goldman Sachs have forecast that oil price will remain at $50 per barrel till 2020.
According to the congress, its main worry is that Nigeria is not prepared for any sustained fall in crude oil price going by economic indicators.
“For instance, Nigeria has just only $2 billion in excess crude account, which reports say may soon be shared; less than $30 billion in external reserves; owes over $60 billion, even as many states in the country continue to seek for loans and bailout funds to pay workers’ salary,” TUC said
It, therefore, expressed serious doubt that President Buhari will deliver on his campaign promises to Nigerians if the price of crude oil, which accounts for some 90 per cent of Nigeria’s total export revenue and 75 per cent of total consolidated revenue continues to hover around $50 per barrel between now and 2019 as forecast by global experts such as Goldman Sachs.
In a presentation at a workshop by the chapter’s Chairman, Comrade Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, entitled: “The Historical Overview of the Impact of Global Oil Politics on Crude Oil Prices, Investments and Employment Relations in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry”, he said the fall in crude oil prices has already begun to take its toll on the oil and gas industry, cutting deep into revenue projections with big losses at the end of the third quarter of this year. It also led to significant contraction in exploration and production activities globally, as companies embarked on massive cost-cutting measures to weather the storm.
According to him, the fall has begun to negatively impact on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and, indeed, the economy, adding that there are fears that some 120,000 direct and indirect jobs may have been lost in the sector.
“At present, many state governments are unable to pay the salaries of their workers as the federal allocation has dwindled seriously. Already, many of the state governments including states in the oil rich Niger Delta are resorting to borrowings and the federal government bailout funds to pay workers’ salaries,” Comrade Onuegbu said.
As he noted, the fact remains that in the coming months, the country would rise above politics by making the needed bitter reforms if it must remain afloat. According to him, economic watchers foresee a situation where many state governments will in 2016 and 2017 or thereabout begin massive cut in public expenditure. This may even include discussions over lay-off of public sector employees if the government does not take urgent steps to mitigate the effects of the current economic crises occasioned by the fall in global crude oil price and oil theft continues unabated.
Comrade Onuegbu noted that the situation in Nigeria is made worse by the fact that there are existing serious challenges in the industry, which are yet to be addressed by the government and other stakeholders.
