A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Dr Umar Ardo has kicked against appointment of 65 additional aides by the Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Ardo in a statement described the new appointees which include 34 advisors and 31 special assistants as people who have always depended on government to survive.
The list released by the governor’s office featured prominent party stalwarts as well as a number of former commissioners and lawmakers. The appointees were described as experienced individuals who were expected to assist the governor in running the affairs of the state.
Ardo said it was irresponsible to hire such a high number of advisors and assistants at the critical time of dwindling revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“If you go through the list, you will see it is virtually the same group of people who always depend on the state treasury for their survival that have now been brought back to come and continue what they know best – take from the state treasury without adding any value to the state”, he alleged.
He said “the government would have served Adamawa people better if it had used the huge amounts to pay these appointees to provide water to our people to at least drink, cook and wash their hands clean and keep safe of the coronavirus. This way it would have helped in the fight against the pandemic”.
He therefore called on the governor to revoke the appointments to save the State from total bankruptcy, saying government should downsize at difficult times rather than over stretch itself with redundant and valueless officers.
Fintiri and Ardo are from the same party.
