The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) says the plan by President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime to slash salaries of federal civil servants is “provocative.”

NASU disclosed this in a statement by its General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

It claimed that the “people who are the beneficiaries of these bloated allowances are the ones who are the apostles of the current policy.”

“This does not end with political office holders in the executive arm of government; the same goes for those in the legislative arm of government, senators, and members of the House of Representatives and their retinue of aides,” NASU stated, urging Mr Buhari to have a rethink.

“To continue in this line of policy will only provoke Nigerian workers and incite them toward negative actions that may lead to unintended outcomes,” it warned.

Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, had given a hint on May 4 at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) about the slash.

Ms Ahmed said during the dialogue that the review of salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies were part of measures to reduce the cost of governance.

She noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had been directed to review salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies.

The union conceded that Mr Buhari had refused to yield to the pressure from some individuals in his administration, who continued to urge him to retrench workers.

“We also note that his administration continues to pay salaries regularly. To us in NASU, these are among the actions of this government that are commendable.

“There is, however, no other way of looking at the current decision of the federal government other than a victory for those in the administration, who continue to be insensitive to the plight of Nigerian workers,” stated NASU.

The union added that “unfortunately,” rather than “leaving workers to remain in their current state of want, they have decided to provoke and incite” them against the government.

“No government official who wishes Nigerian workers well and is interested in the peace of the country will advise on this line of policy direction at this time,” asserted the union “when workers are still struggling with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

It complained about hyperinflation, the extreme cost of food items, and increased electricity tariffs and petrol price.

The union reminded the minister and others in government that the principal factor responsible for bloated recurrent expenditure was the salaries and allowances of political officeholders.

“There is duplication of functions among these officials, who include but not limited to ministers, ministers of state, special advisers, special assistants and their retinue of personal staff.

“This was well captured in the report of the Adamu Fika Committee, set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan to review Public Sector Reforms,” said the statement.

(NAN)