COVID-19: Slash Workers’ Salaries, Ali Ndume Tells FG

Senator Ali Ndume has called on the federal government to slash salaries of workers, since they are yet to fully resume work as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking during an interview on Channels television, he added that the pay cut can also be a means of sacrifice from the workers.

He said,

Government should critically look at the personnel and recurrent expenditure which consumes about 70 per cent of the budget. Money should be pumped into capital.

People should make sacrifices. This is the time to look at issues critically. But as I said, When I talk like this – and make my opinion – people look at it and call me all sorts of names. But I try to express myself. 

I think there should be more sacrifice, especially on the personnel side. How can you sustain the same personnel and overhead costs when even the work that you are doing… most people don’t go to the office now, and they are being paid fully for the month.

Is there any justification for that? If you cannot work because of the pandemic, then you should be given palliatives and be paid less.