Doyin Okupe
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, on Tuesday in Abuja described as “satanic verses”, and “ignoble assignment reeking of self-serving agenda”, the recommendation by a two-time Presidential Spokesperson, Dr. Doyin Okupe, that governors should sack thousands of their workers so as to save money.
The union noted that Okupe’s suggestion that the various governments in the country should be sacking 10 per cent of their workforce every year was “a recipe for increased insecurity in the country.”
The organisation claimed that it was this type of unwarranted advice by Okupe and other failed politicians that led to the collapse of the Peoples Democratic Party and its woeful performance during the 2015 presidential election.
It could be recalled that Okupe had last Saturday charged State governors to sack some workers under their payroll and stop begging the federal government for bailout fund.
But in a statement by its President, Bobboi Kaigama and Secretary-General, Bashir Lawal, ASCSN warned the state governments to be wary of the likes of Okupe, “who, consigned to the dustbin of history because of economic hardship they foisted on Nigerian people as members of the kitchen cabinet of the discredited PDP Federal Government, were now seeking relevance in the polity, trying to warm their ways to the hearts of state governors.”
The ASCSN added, “Okupe therefore, wants a situation where the entire country will be thrown into turmoil because if all the state governments sack 20 per cent to 30 per cent of their workforce, anarchy will reign supreme and when that happens, Okupe and his league of failed professionals masquerading as politicians will begin to jubilate that the Federal Government of All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed.
“It is the over-bloated emoluments of political office holders which in the past included Okupe and his fellow travellers who constitutes less than 1 per cent of the population that has brought the economy to ruins.”
The ASCSN further advised Okupe to start a protest to reduce the big salaries and allowances of Nigerian political office holders which consumed about 70 per cent of the annual budget (25 per cent for legislative arm and 40 per cent for the executive arm), leaving virtually nothing for capital projects and which is the reason why the meagre salaries of civil servants cannot be paid as and when due.
“It is common knowledge that Nigerian political office holders are the highest paid in the world, most of whom receive more than the President of the United States of America. This is the area Okupe should beam his searchlight on, if he is interested in curbing waste apart from joining the current anti-corruption war designed to plug all leakages in the administration of public finances.
“Besides, given his antecedent, the public is not deceived by Okupe’s vituperations as self-appointed consultant of state governments because this ignoble assignment reeks of self-serving agenda.”
The Union expressed disappointment “that Okupe sees nothing wrong with the security votes of governors which on the average is N1 billion monthly, stressing that his ‘satanic project'” was dead on arrival.
The union also frowned at Okupe’s suggestion that the Federal Government should deploy pension funds for projects, warning that the funds were savings meant to settle the legitimate benefits of workers on retirement.
“Any attempt to tamper with workers pension funds will be fiercely resisted by the trade unions”, the ASCSN added.
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