Niger to Cut Salaries of Political Office Holders

Niger state Government has given reason why it decided to cut down salaries of all categories of political officer holders by 50 per cent in the state with effect from this month. 

The government hinged its decision on the dwindling economic situation being experienced in the country. In a circular signed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG on Monday, the government disclosed that the reduction of salaries of all categories of political office holders will come to effect from March.

Those affected in this new policy are Personal Assistants, Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants and other appointees. The Permanent Secretary (political) to the SSG, Alhaji Danladi Buhari stated that the new policy was due to the prevailing economic situation in the country. He said the affected category of the political appointees, who before received between N50,000 and N65,000 will now be entitled to between N25,000 and N30,000.

“The policy has come to stay. And, in addition to reducing the cost of governance, the present administration wants to make political appointments less attractive so that people will not just sit down at home and be collecting salary without doing anything.” “ We must admit that this decision is not going down well with the people because there has been complains from various quota.

The government has no hidden agenda, this is not the first time that salaries of political appointees are being review downward in the state.” “In view of the current economic reality, the government cannot continue with the present wage bills of political office holders in the state because what we are getting now as revenue is not up to what we used to get, so there is the need to cut down government expenditure, including salaries of this categories of appointees”. “Any appointee, according to him, who is not at home with the new policy may resign his or her appointment. The Permanent Secretary then denied speculations that the decision to reduce the salaries of the political office holders as being alleged by some people was to enable government meet up with the salary bill of workers.