Fayose: “Decision of NGF to
reduce public service staff strength is APC’s agenda”
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, has distanced himself
from the decision of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) to cut staff
strength of the public service as a way out of the current economic
challenges facing the nation.
Governor Fayose said Thursday that the decision could not have
represented the collective will of the NGF, alleging that: “It could
at best be described as an agenda of the All Progressive Congress
(APC)’s and its central government, which appears to be clueless about
revamping the Nigerian economy.”
Fayose, who stated categorically that Ekiti State should be counted
out of such arrangement, insisted; “I like to restate that workers
remain critical stakeholders in governance in Nigeria and as such,
their rights and privileges must be protected and guaranteed at all
times in the spirit and letters of the Nigerian Constitution,
particularly the fundamental objectives and directive principles of
state policy.
“It’s painful that a Government which indulged in propaganda and
promised to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians could consider the
idea of retrenching workers within its first six months in office
alongside the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products.”
“It’s a known fact that some state Governors plunged their states into
huge debts very carelessly and recklessly thus mortgaging the lives
and souls of their states.
“There is therefore no moral justification for a resort to job cut.
The social implications of laying off workers at this critical period
include social crimes like robbery, suicide and all sorts of
malfeasance.”
Governor Fayose therefore gave alternatives to the job cut measures,
saying:; “state governors must go and engage with their people,
through interactions on the way forward, state governors and parties
that cannot cope with basic obligations particularly payment of
workers salaries may want to step down for more competent manager;
state governors must ensure drastic reduction of costs of governance
especially those of pleasure for such executives; central and state
governments must cut down on foreign travels and huge estacodes; and
we all must look inwardly for alternative means of sourcing revenue
rather that resort to borrowing.”
