Nigeria, May 4, 2016 – The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has said that it is disappointed that the former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe is calling on governors to reduce their workforce instead of begging for bailout from the Federal Government.
“Rather than making such obnoxious pronouncement; and being one of the forces that accentuated the suffocation of the immediate past administration from within, Dr. Okupe should have called on all the anti-corruption agencies to do a thorough investigation on where and how the released bailouts to some states were diverted”, TUC said in a statement signed by President and Secretary of the union, Comrades Bobboi Kaigama and Simeso Amachree.
According to TUC, one thing Okupe evidently did not realise is that it is no longer business as usual.
“Or is the man indirectly soliciting for a job or some other form of patronage from the present administration? Indeed it is unfortunate that any of the masterminds of the nation’s present economic predicament should aspire to be amongst those in positions of authority in the country.
“It is our thinking that states would be able to meet their financial obligations if their governors look inward and bring back state monies starched in both foreign and local personal banks accounts. We expect serious sanctions to be visited on these governors”, TUC said.
It faulted Okupe’s argument that between “2008 and 2009, Ogun State received N2 billion monthly from the federation account and paid out N1.8 billion as staff salaries, wages and overhead costs” to civil servants who constitute not more than 50,000 in a state with a population of 5,000,000.
“This may or may not be true, but he failed to state the amount the state generates internally. Okupe’s antecedents have shown him to be consistently inconsistent and we smell a rat”, the union said.
It noted that no government, state or federal, does its people a favour by employing them.
“It is the government’s duty and responsibility, which it cannot abdicate, to create jobs. We warn the Federal Government to be wary of wolves in sheep’s clothing, men and women whose stock in trade is to ensure that the Government does not succeed. Nigeria and Nigerians are in pains and seek viable ways out of the woods, so Okupe should keep his warped views to himself”, TUC said.
