The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), on Wednesday described as insensitive the suggestion by Mallam Lamido Sanusi, CBN Governor, that 50 per cent of the nation’s civil servants be sacked.
Addressing a news conference in Lagos, Mr Ehi Omokhuale, Lagos State Chairman of the CLO, described the call as “a backward statement’’ by a public office holder.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Sanusi had on Tuesday at the Second Annual Capital Market Committee Retreat in Warri, Delta, called on the Federal Government to fire at least 50 per cent of its entire workforce.
Sanusi argued that the country spends 70 per cent of her earnings on salaries and entitlements of civil servants.
He said that having the Federal Government’s staff strength reduced by half would free up capital for infrastructure development in the country and buoy the economy.
“There was no justification in the recommendation,’’ Omokhuale said.
The CLO chairman said that there was no sense in sacking 50 per cent of civil servants to join an already saturated labour market in Nigeria.
According to him, the focus of governments at all levels should be how to direct excess workforce into other productive use.
“Government should create more jobs to increase productivity for growth and development,” he said.
The CLO chairman pointed out that the problem with the nation’s economy was the high tech corruption that had eaten deep into the high echelon of public office holders.
“We still believe that Nigerian civil servants are underpaid and government must think up ways to shore up their remunerations,’’ he added. (NAN)