MINIMUM WAGE: NIGER SLASHES SALARIES OF POLITICAL APPOINTEES

Niger State Government is to reduce the salaries of political appointees by 30 per cent, to meet up with the implementation of the new national minimum wage for civil servants, Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu disclosed this yesterday at the swearing-in of 14 special advisers.

Aliyu, who expressed displeasure that in the past, some persons were appointed into political offices without specific schedule of function, said that, every special adviser in the state must relate with the commissioner of the mother ministry to maximize productivity.

He said, it was in view of maximizing productivity and the money being spent on political office holders that the government would submit a proposal before the  House of Assembly to reduce their salaries by 30 per cent.

'If you don't want your salary to be reduced, you can go and fell trees to produce charcoal to sell, just like some people we called to join us, and they refused to come and join us, but you must not go and fell government trees, so that you will not be prosecuted.'

He stressed that except where it was necessary, the government would not appoint Directors-General because some of them in the last dispensation were apparently redundant and were not sharing in the vision of the state.

He said the crisis witnessed during the primaries of his party (PDP) for the forthcoming election was due to the fact that some members did not respect the zoning arrangement of parties in the affected areas.

He said every political appointee must relate with his or her immediate constituency and make sure that they connect with the people.