Assume you’re the President of Nigeria or Governor of your state. You’ve recently raised the Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N30,000. Oil prices have now crashed. COVID-19 lockdown has decimated your revenue collection. What will you do? Sack some staff? What? #GovernancePuzzles
Assume that because of the crash in oil prices and crash in revenue as a result of COVID-19, you approach NASS or your State House of Assembly to reduce their salaries & allowances, but they threaten to block your Bills and even impeach you, what will you do? #GovernancePuzzles
The biggest component of the cost of governance is Personnel Costs (salaries and allowances). Total NASS budget is about N120 billion. Total FGN Personnel cost is about N2 Trillion. Even if you totally delete NASS, you only save N120b. What else will you cut? #GovernancePuzzles
Assuming that as part of reducing the cost of governance, you decide to abolish agencies that add no value and merge those with duplicate functions, as recommended by the Oronsaye Report, what will you do with their staff? Will you sack them? #GovernancePuzzles
Let’s now assume that as President, you’ve cut your pay & that of all appointees . You’ve also managed to persuade NASS to cut allowances. Your wage bill has come down from N2.3 Trillion to N2 Trillion but you can only afford N1.5 Trillion. Will you sack staff? #GovernancePuzzles
