June 13, (THEWILL) – The Principal Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, Chief Mathias Adum, has advised the Nigerian government to think about reducing the salaries of political office holders and increasing that of civil servants in order to enable them to put in their best.
Chief Adum, who gave the advice while speaking on the 25th anniversary of Nigeria’s democracy, said the survival of Nigeria is more important than any individual.
He expressed disappointment over the sudden crumbling education sector, subsisting insecurity and dwindling economy, adding that Nigeria was the envy of other West African countries.
“This is the time Nigeria will get it right. There must be a reform in our electoral process; there must be a reform in our democratic engagement, the reform should happen now. The National Assembly is best suited to do it. Tinubu is best suited to do it because he is a man who has courage; he has taken a bold step to reform the economic sector. I believe he will do the same in our electoral process.
“For me, we have not gotten it right. I am not talking as a government person, I am talking from my small corner. We have not gotten it right. I believe Tinubu is a man who will get everything done. If we fail now, we will never get it right.
“Tinubu has been in the National Assembly, he was in the Senate. Akpabio has been in the federal executive. Tinubu has worked in the executive and he has fought and conquered by winning this election, let him bring the best reform.
“Nigeria is more important than an individual. The survival of this country is more important than any individual. Why does insecurity persist in this country, any reason? Why must education crumble before us? Why is it that our economy has gone down the drain? Why?
“Have you gone to other West African countries? Places like Niger and Chad. What do they have to offer? Do you know the enormous resources we are having? Both human resources and natural resources. God has blessed this country.
“If all of us should put hands together, Nigeria will be the envy of other countries. It was like that before the war in the middle of the seventies and eighties. Nigeria was a celebrity in the whole continent. Look at the industries that have folded up. Look at them. Why?.
“We have to go back to the drawing board. It is not a matter of one person. There must be reform. Revolution is not carried out by one person, It is by a group of people. Not by violent revolution. We have to put on our thinking cap and reform this country for the benefit of all of us.
“Tinubu has been listening to the voice of the people. Whenever he makes a wrong decision and you shout, he will drop it down. Do not give a gap. If you give a gap now evil will strive. Give us good advice, including those of us who are in government. If you give us good advice and we do not listen, it means we are prepared for bad leadership.
“I want to tell you that the journey is still very far. We have to walk the journey so that we will get to the promised land. Put them together, you will know by my voice that I am not the happiest person with what I am seeing. Instead of not adding money for civil servants, reduce our own allowances. Politicians, reduce our own to augment their own so that everyone will be happy.
“Yes. Don’t say we are not paid fat salaries. We are paid. I do not belong to those people who say we are not paid fat salaries. So, increase the salaries of civil servants and reduce our own. Because we cannot increase our own and think their own will decrease.
“Reduce the salaries of political office holders and increase that of civil servants so that they will put in their best. There is no government without bureaucracy. It doesn’t work. Every group is very important. So, the cost of governance has to come down. They gave me an orderly and I rejected it. I do not need all those paraphernalia of office,” he stated.
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Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
