The decision of Governor Nasiru El Rufai of Kaduna State to further disengage local government staff as part of downsize or restructuring policies is untimely. On Tuesday, over 4,000 staff across 23 local governments received their disengagement letters.
The governor’s policies came barely four years when over 25,000 primary school teachers and other categories of staff were relieved of their appointments without receiving a kobo as their benefits. The continue disengagement of civil servants while the state is experiencing high rate of banditry, kidnapping and other sundry crimes is unwise and came at the wrong time.
Unless the state government will quickly pay the affected staff their benefits, which I doubt it will do considering the first batch of the staff have not yet received theirs four years after. With the country’s worsening economic situation and the high rate of inflation that affects the civil servants’ purchasing power and eats up their meagre salaries, one can imagine what will happen to the thousands of disengaged civil servants in the state.
Governor Nasir Elrufai can pursue his downsize policies so long those who are the victims will be fully compensated in line with the condition of service. I appeal to Governor El Rufai to quickly pay these disengaged staff their benefits. By doing so, the staff will have a succour and start their new lives in retirement.
Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua, Kaduna State
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