Press Release: SACK OF MORE FEDERAL WORKERS UNJUSTIFIABLE 11th May 2007

The Federal Government on Wednesday 9th May announced its intention to sack more workers as part of its restructuring efforts of the federal civil service. Already, more than half of the work force was sacked in 2006 alone. 82,000 federal workers were laid off last year out of a total work force of 150,000.

We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) disagree with the official rationale about “weeding out those who are not adding value to public service”. On the contrary, we fear politicization of the civil service and the attendant victimization of political opponents. Those who are being ‘weeded out’ may well be those who do not share the same political philosophy with the ruling party while the so called ‘high fliers’ who are being recruited may be party faithfuls, thugs and underdogs used during the last controversial April elections. The result will be the flooding of the civil service with mediocres, compromise of professionalism and the erosion of ethics of the civil service.

A period of high crime rate is not the best time for laying off thousands particularly with Nigeria’s poor reputation for payment of workers’ benefits. Instead of encouraging diligence and patriotism, the Nigerian civil servant is indirectly being motivated to perfect the art of kleptomania before being kicked out without any hope of early compensation.

MURIC therefore calls on the Federal Government to rescind this unwise, inhuman and unjustifiable decision. Such action can only be justified if workers are given their pay-off cheques with full entitlements capable of securing their future the same day that they receive their sack letters.

Dr. Is-haq Akintola 
DIRECTOR