FG, states wasteful despite economic crisis — Falana
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana
(SAN), said on Saturday, that despite the economic crisis bedevilling
the nation with at least 27 states unable to pay salaries to their
workers, there was no evidence that any tier of government was cutting
down the cost of governance.
Falana said this in a paper he presented
on Saturday in Abuja at a symposium organised by the Nigerian Labour
Congress as part of its activities marking this year’s Workers’ Day.
According to Falana, profligacy remains the order of the day in government circles at all levels.
He said, “With the profligacy in government there is no sign that we are going through tough times.
“Our public officers are paid the
highest travelling allowances or estacode while our legislators are the
highest paid in the world.
“After collecting wardrobe, housing and
vehicle allowances of billions of Naira the federal legislators have
placed orders for the purchase of exotic cars which they approved for
themselves.
“The payment of the illegal security votes by the federal, state and local governments has not ceased.”He said there were still 11 planes in
the presidential fleet, over 70 per cent of the budget still goes into
“servicing of parasitic bureaucracy” while governors still travel so
regularly to Abuja and other places in hired jets.He added that “no government has
reviewed projects that constitute a drain on public treasury” while
public officers were still moving around in long convoys.
He also said jobs, which could be handled by civil servants, were still being given out to contractors at skyrocketing prices.
The lawyer added that majority of state
governments had refused to adopt the Treasury Single Account to
eliminate the diversion of public funds.
He said while the Federal Government was
making attempt to fight corruption, “it has remained business as usual
in the states and local government councils.”
The senior advocate said, “Some
ministers, senators and other public officers earn double salaries while
no state government has reduced the scandalous pension package for
ex-governors in terms of salaries for life, houses in the state capitals
plus Abuja, medical, vehicle and other allowances etc.
“Some officers serve for four or five
years and retire at less than 50 years of age only to be paid an exit
package of not less than N500m.” His lecture was entitled, ‘The working
class and the marginalised group and the quest for socio-economic rights
in Nigeria in the context of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive
Principles of State Policy in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution.’
In his paper, Falana also asked
President Muhammadu Buhari to take responsibility for the unlawful
killings going on in many parts of the country.He said, “Although the unlawful killing
of unarmed citizens did not start under the current administration, it
has a duty to ensure that the life of every person living in Nigeria is
respected at all times.
“Having undertaken to end impunity and
the egregious violations of human rights the Buhari administration
should bear responsibility for the unlawful killing of citizens by
security forces and other armed gangs.”He said government had failed in its
obligation under section 17 of the Constitution which mandates it to
provide for a living national minimum wage and make conditions of work
just and humane.
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