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There was palpable apprehension in the Federal Civil Service on Wednesday as the Federal Government unfolded plans to reduce the size of the work force.
According to The Nation, government is working out an exit package for workers that would be affected.
However, there was disquiet as organised labour described the plan to sack workers as a reversal of the much advertised Federal Government’s employment drive.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, while fielding questions at the public presentation and breakdown of highlights of the 2022 Appropriation Act in Abuja, on Wednesday, said it was imperative to reduce the size of government because of the huge amount government spent on recurrent expenditure annually.
Fears are rife that the merger of agencies being proposed will compound the unemployment crisis in the country.
But the minister said government’s mode of reducing the workforce will not entirely be in line with the Stephen Oronsaye report.
She said government is working on an “exit package” to be paid to those that will be affected.
“There is a special committee, led by the SGF, that is working on the review of agencies, with a view to collapsing them partly using the Oransanye report. At the end of it, what we want to do is to reduce the size of government and also to reduce the size of personnel cost and part of it will be designing the exit packages that are realistic,” she said.
Explaining the reason for the proposed sack, the finance minister said: “We are revenue challenged. So, everything we do, we can’t put an exit package if you are not willing to cash it immediately. So, when you are asking people to exit by choice, you must be able to give them that package as they are exiting.”
She added: “There are so many things that are happening. These are not easy decisions to make because they affect people and families. So, you have to make sure that whatever we commit to we are actually going to deliver on it.”
Ahmed explained that the Federal Government will start repaying the $3.4 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan collected in 2021, based on the repayment schedule agreed to by the two parties.
She stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has ratcheted up his monitoring of the performances of ministers in his cabinet, adding that he now monitors the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) every quarter, instead of annually.
On when Nigeria will start using credible population figures to plan the economy, the minister said: “The country is almost ready for the census exercise. What is needed is the date, which the National Population Commission will communicate to President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The finance minister stated that as at November 2021, Federal Government’s aggregate revenue was N5.51 trillion, representing 74 per cent of what was targeted in the year. This was made up of share of oil revenues N970.3 billion, representing 53 per cent performance of the prorated sum in the 2021 budget.
Contributing virtually to the budget breakdown session, Executive Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami, said Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) closed 2021 fiscal year with a tax revenue collection of N6.4 trillion, adding that non-oil sector accounted for 70 per cent of the revenue.
He said: “In 2021, FIRS realised N6.4 trillion as tax collection for the first time with the assistance of Information Technology (ICT) deployment.”
Meanwhile, labour unions have called for caution, urging the Federal Government to have a rethink about sacking the workers.
The unions asked the Federal Government to ensure that those that would be affected by the decision were paid their full entitlements.
The presidents Nigeria Civil Service Union and Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Lawrence Amaechi and Dr Tommy Okon respectively, expressed worry about the impending sack of workers.
Amaechi said his union would monitor the implementation of the white paper of the Oronsaye committee report.
He said: “If at the time of implementation we are satisfied that Mr A must go, we will ask where is his cheque? Is it complete? Give it to him and he will go and better his life.
“The Oronsaye committee white paper has long been gazetted. At this point, we cannot stop it. It is just to follow the implementation; how it will not affect our workers badly.
“When the implementation starts, we will know how to fight it.”
Speaking, Okon said the union’s position on the planned retrenchment would be made public after meeting with its organs.
“We have to meet as a Congress and take a decision that will be all encompassing. I cannot speak on the position yet, until we meet. Once we meet, then, we will make our position known.
“The Central Working Committee will meet to look at the decision and even at the National Joint Council level, we will meet. Once our decision is made we will communicate it to all parastatals,” Okon said.