That Buhari’s Pay Cut

With the current economic challenges facing the
country, any genuine sacrifice made by those in authority to reduce cost of governance cannot go unappreciated.
It is no hidden fact that with the global fall in oil price, which invariably had affected the country’s income, many states and indeed the entire nation have been grappling with how to carry out their economic responsibilities to the citizens.
In view of this, many people have advocated a serious reduction in the cost of governance as Nigeria’s style of democracy is said to be among the most expensive in the world.
Nigerian law makers have been alleged to be the highest paid politicians in the globe. Ours is a country where the average individual lives on less than $1 a day yet public funds are wasted by those in authority on all kinds of frivolities.
It therefore calls for commendation, the recent decision by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and some state Governors to cut their monthly salaries by 50 per cent. These people have no doubt demonstrated leadership by example by their willingness to forfeit part of their income for the development of their states and the country at large. Some have argued that 50 per cent pay cut is very insignificant and cannot turn the dwindling economy around, but at least we have to start from somewhere. Don’t forget the saying “little drops of water makes a mighty ocean”.
However, one would like to believe that the President, the Vice President, the governors and all those in authority can do more than mere pay cut.
There is need to block real wastes, drains and leakages in our national finance. Every now and then we hear the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and other multi-national oil companies raise alarm on the huge amount of money the country loses every day to crude oil theft.
Recently, the former Chief of Naval staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, said the country loses about 100,000 barrels of crude oil estimated at N1.18bn daily to oil thieves who take advantage of poor law enforcement on the nation’s territorial waters.
At the ministries, agencies and parastatals, billions of naira are constantly being embezzled by those in charge. For some time now, the media have been inundated with stories of corruption allegations leveled against some past government functionaries and other highly placed individuals. What we do not hear in the long run is how these people are punished, so as to serve as deterrent to others.
It is therefore logical that if effective measures are not taken towards the fight against corruption, any effort of the president and others towards cushioning the effects of the dwindling economy will be futile. President Buhari has a reputation as a man who abhors corruption. This is a time to prove it once again, by making sure that corruption rate in the country is brought to its barest minimium.
The former President Goodluck Jonathan in a bid to reduce cost of governance set up a committee on Rationalisation of Federal Governments’ paratatals, Commissions and agencies, headed by the former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Steve Orosanya.
The committee recommended the scrapping of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and reversal of 14 to departments in the ministries from which they were carved out.
Perhaps, this is time to implement the recommendation of this committee. It is a known fact that some parastatals recommended by the committee for merging are performing almost the same function, while some of them slated for scrap are indeed moribund. Every year, funds that should have been channeled to more productive ministries and agencies are pumped into these weak ministries and agencies, yet service delivery is at its lowest ebb.
Of what use has an agency like National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) been to Nigerians? How has the programme impacted on the lives of millions of poor Nigerians who languish in penury and poverty? I am sure that the only account many Nigerians will give of NAPEP is that the programme introduced the use of “Keke NAPEP” as a means of transportation in Nigeria.
Again, as Ebonyi State Governor suggested in an interview recently, our leaders should go beyond mere pay cut, “we should endeavour to re-invent our respective states to make them viable and more productive.
There is hardly any state in this country that is not blessed with one natural resource or the other. This is the time to explore these potentials, especially the agricultural potentials instead of depending solely on oil. The fall in oil price could be a miracle in disguise if only we can be prompted to think of how we can diversify our revenue, revive other sectors and put an end to total dependence on oil.
This is a time for every Nigerian to consider what sacrifice to be made towards the growth and development of the country.
Are our Federal lawmakers ready to cut down on their unmerited huge salaries and allowances for the country to have more money for development? What of commissioners and other political office holders at state and local government levels, traditional and religious leaders? What sacrifice are they willing to make in the interest of the nation?
So, there should be a wholistic and sincere approach towards saving the economy. This is time to reduce waste and inefficiency. Most importantly, this is time to look inwards and see how we can develop other sectors and seek ways of generating revenue internally and maximize the revenue for the good of the people.

Calista Ezeaku