Aliyu Musa
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s recent statement allegedly recommending a downright downsizing of the country’s workforce will, for a number of reasons, continue to generate controversy in spite of his attempt to clarify his position.
First, many would remember Malam Sanusi’s similar controversial utterances in the past which, like this one, his damage control effort did little to change the initial impression given.
Second, being a member of a regime that is generally regarded as spendthrift Malam Sanusi should have given the wording of his statement a serious thought and, possibly, consider introspect.
Third, it is doubtful he was misquoted as all the media whose correspondents were at the annual Capital Market Committee Retreat in Warri, Delta State reported it and quotes allegedly by him were profusely used to back the reports.
Malam Sanusi’s appointment as the governor of Nigeria’s apex bank received a standing ovation from Nigerians across tribal and religious leanings. This was because his presentation at the Senate was too convincing to be ignored and his previous credentials were simply very credible.
He is well remembered for advocating caution on the part of those proposing the introduction of the Shariah legal system in some states in Northern Nigeria. His fight to restore sanity in our banking industry remains highly commendable, despite grumbles in some quarters and frustrating government meddling.
But his recent suggestion that the government could save money by retrenching workers appears very contradictory if, as has always been assumed, making sure there’s food on the table for the common man is his main goal.
That 70 per cent of the revenue accruing to the federal government is consumed by government appointees, as he pointed out, is no doubt a crippling burden, but sacking 50 per cent of the workforce is as good as begging the question. Introspecting in this case, as I mentioned earlier, seems the best way out of this calamity.
If Malam Sanusi and everyone serving in President Goodluck Jonathan’s government agree to look inward we, probably, would realise that paying genuine workers’ wages each month is not as much a problem as allowing a handful of politicians and political appointees take home jumbo salaries and allowances, in addition to outright theft from public treasury.
Our parliamentarians are the highest paid in the world even though we are ranked among the poorest. Our governors receive subventions from the federal government that they spend as they wish and give no account of. Even local council elected officials are tin ‘gods’ who flaunt ill-gotten affluence in mockery of their constituents. Our leaders’ ineptitude has reached such an embarrassing state that any hope of redemption is extremely remote.
If anything needs absolute downsizing it is our leaders’ incongruous lavish lifestyle. There nothing modest about a president and his officials that spend a substantial part of the country's budget to feed themselves, furnish their official homes and even allocate outrageous amounts to garden maintenance.
If patriotism also means sacrifice of one’s comfort for country then Nigerians have paid more than their fair dues. But the same cannot be said of politicians that allocate N1.9 billion for the purchase of aircraft to swell the presidential fleet that is already unprecedented. Nor can it be said of parliamentarians that set aside N1.5 billion for their own guest houses.
Rather than sending millions of Nigerians back into a labour market that is fully saturated we should be talking about ways to stop the federal government from going ahead with its plan to build a N2.2 billion naira banquet hall in the presidential villa.
Leadership is not about partying. It is a serious business. So Mr President does not need a ‘befitting’ party hall as his Minister Bala Muhammad has claimed. This profligacy is far-fetched and Nigerians can't just afford it. This is what must be cut down to size, not the poorly paid wages of Nigerian workers.
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