PROFESSOR Pat Utomi of the
Pan African University has expressed his readiness to work with the government
of Muhammadu Buhari, should he get the mandate.
Addressing newsmen on
Sunday, in Lagos, on a leaked ministerial nomination merit list involving him
and some ex-governors, the Professor of Political Economy described the economy
of the country as deserving a “national emergency” and requiring “all hands on
deck.”
He then stated his
commitment to work with the “rescue” team of President Buhari for the nation’s
progress.
In his words, “whatever I
can do to make our country make progress I would do just that.”
Professor Utomi also reacted
to questions about unpaid salaries and national debts.
“We have to recognise that
we have crisis at all levels of government in terms of paying basic bills like
salaries. That is an emergency that we must tackle immediately.
“We need to have some
mechanisms by which to look at the build-up of debts and develop ways to make
sure that states are more responsible for the ways they manage government
funds,” he posited, adding that states should have their debts restructured on
a longterm basis, in order to enable them perform basic duties.
Meanwhile, Professor
Utomi, on Monday, advised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission
(RMAFC) to adhere to public service structure in reviewing public office
holders’ salaries and allowances.
The RMAFC had said it was
reviewing salaries and allowances in view of the current realities, where the
country’s economy was characterised by inflation and downturn in international
oil prices, among others.
In an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the development, Utomi advised RMAFC to follow
public service structure in its review.
“What I know is that
traditional public service structure is what political office holders should
really follow.
“Public service is a
sacrifice we must all recognise.
“If you want to go into
politics, you should know that if you were earning millions in the private
sector, the three or four years that you might serve are years of sacrifice.
“When I hear about governors
giving themselves billions in the name of pension, it can best be described as
scandalous and more than inappropriate.
“We know that it is good to
discourage people from being corrupt so that they should not have a troubling
life after they leave office, but I think that some of the things I hear as
rumour are not appropriate,’’ he said.
Utomi said the public
service structure should be strictly adhered to and they should get what other public
servants at that level were getting.
Also speaking on the issue,
the publicity secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties,
South-West, Reverend Austin Nnorom, said review of salaries of public office
holders required utmost urgency.
“One expects that moderation
should be put in place ordinarily; and their salaries should at least be
commensurate with what political office holders earn globally.
“Their salaries should
ordinarily discourage the present do-or-die politicking that we have in
Nigeria, because political office holders are the highest income earners in
Nigeria.
“We expect the commission to
ensure that this present legislative arm of government immediately begins to
collect the salaries that will make Nigerians know that they have come to do
business,” Nnorom said.
A Peoples Demcratic Party
(PDP) House of Representatives member, representing Surulere Federal
Constituency 11, Mr Olatunji Soyinka, urged RMAFC to ensure the review was done
at all levels of government.
“We need to cut our
salaries; not only that of the National Assembly, but everywhere; from the
ministers down to the local government chairmen.”
Tribune
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