…Demands Upward Review of Salaries
An Abuja-based legal practitioner Barrister Chima Anthony- Odiuko has called for an upward review of the salaries of civil servants at all levels in nigeria.
Chief Anthony Odiuko who is the All progressives grand alliance,APGA Senatorial Candidate for Owerri zone in the 2023 election, made the call in an interview with newsmen in owerri.
The Owerri zone APGA Senatorial Candidate, recalled that the last salary review for Nigerian civil servants was done in 2009.
They lawyer who explained that salary review is different from minimum wage, regretted that there has not been any salary increase in the last thirteen years outside the implementation of the national minimum wage.
He lamented that economic challenges had eroded the purchasing power of the workers that the ‘thirty thousand naira minimum wage’ is no longer enough for them to take care of their basic needs
A bag of rice which was once sold at seven thousand naira is now sold at thirty five thousand. Fuel which sold at not more ninety naira is now one hundred and ninety naira
But the disheartening aspect of it is that in all these increase in prices of goods and services, the salary of civil servants has remained stagnant.” Brrister Anthony Odiuko observed.
This according to him is as a result of general increase in the prices of goods and services occasioned by the fall in the purchasing value of naira.
He expressed fear that the situation could affect productivity in the civil service and the living standard of families of the workers’ if nothing is done to improve it.
Chief Chima Anthony who hailed as the greatest legacy of president Muhammadu Buhari, the approval for use the electronic transmission of election results, said the development has entrenched transparency in the electoral system.
It was used in the Anambra, Osun and Ekiti states governorship elections and the exercises were very successful.’
He however appealed to the executive and legislative arms of government to also attend to the need for an upward review of civil servants salaries to alleviate the suffering of civil servants and their families.