Mr. Chidi Uwabuofu,
OBIARUKU/Nigeria: Political Mercenaries had been accused of been in charge of government at different levels in Nigeria, as can be seen in the jumbo pay of various government officials, especially the politically elected once.
This assertion was given by a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mr. Chidi Uwabuofu, in Ukwuani Local government Area in Delta state, in a press statement made available to www.thebrief.com.ng on Thursday, May 9, 2019.
According to the statement, Mr. Uwabuofu stated that the jumbo emoluments is tied to the gross mediocrity the country is been governed, and advised the government to cut down the various salary payment of most of this government employees at various level by 90% to enable the country move positively.
The statement
Government Should Cut Down the Jumbo Salaries Of All Public Elected Officers By 90% And See How Nigeria Will Transform Overnight
It is hardly a secret that Nigeria has one of the highest paid public officials in the world, and it wouldn’t be farfetched to think that their jumbo emoluments is tied to the gross mediocrity with which the country is being served. Instead of critical thinkers and true visionaries being in charge of the affairs of our country, what we have are political mercenaries whose sole interest is to enrich themselves overnight at the expense of the people of Nigeria. But is it not rather laughable that the government can comfortably afford to pay the outrageous wages of public elected officials, yet it keeps borrowing money from foreign countries for the sustainability of her own economic and infrastructural advancement? It is obscene for the people’s representatives to earn so much money while the people are living in an abject poverty.
A country where the motivation for political representation is determined by avaricious agendas can never progress, and it is without a shadow of a doubt that our beloved country, Nigeria as a perfect point of reference is apparently camatose since the inception of democratic rule because she is plagued by this ugly narative.
While the country suffers, a small circle of power hungry individuals have recycled the positions of government office amongst themselves to service their insatiable greed. We’ve watched on as they carved out a niche for themselves through representation, maintaining exorbitant lifestyles with the taxpayers’ money, they have their children studying abroad, and fat foreign bank accounts, and mansions all over the world.
If nothing is done urgently by the government about this ugly circumstance which I perceive as a broad daylight robbery of our common wealth by few opportunists, Nigeria will remain a perpetual Third World country and things will only get worse. If I have my way or if I were to be asked for a possible way forward, I would suggest an abolishment of pension benefits for all political office holders as well as a 90% cut down of their wages, from top to bottom not just to make the offices less attractive or demonetise politics but to speed up the transformation agenda of the government for the benefit of all.
To serve is to make sacrifice. This is tantamont to saying that political representation is essentially an act of making sacrifice for the benefit of all, and not an avenue for self-enhancement. So I expect the cooperation of all critical stakeholders. If they truly have concern about the welfare of their constituents, the people of Nigeria, they can afford to go without or allow a radical pay cut. It will become obvious that anyone who opposes this noble recommendation doesn’t think about the yearnings and welfare of the people of Nigerians and should be seen as an enemy of the state.
I urge the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the legislators to consider this as their top priority.
By Chidi O. Uwabuofu,
APC stalwart, social/right activist
