CUT YOUR JUMBO PAY, ANGLICAN SYNOD TELLS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND OTHERS

House of Representatives in session

The third session of the 11th Synod of the Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Akure, has called on members of the National Assembly to heed the call by Nigerians to cut their “jumbo” salaries and allowances to reduce the high cost of governance.
In a communiqué issued in Akure on Sunday at the end of the three-day session, the body of clerics also expressed concerns over the inability of the various state governments to pay workers’ salaries as a result of the current economic crisis.
The clerics urged the various governments to prioritise their activities and focus on liquidating the backlog of salaries owned their workers.

The communiqué, which was jointly signed by the Bishop of the Akure Diocese, Rev. Simeon Borokini and Chairman of the Communique Committee, Sola Ibukun, stated its concerns over the current insecurity in the country, with continued ethno-religious killings, kidnapping and terrorists attacks.
The communiqué read: “On the cost of governance, Synod observed with concern the continued collection of jumbo salaries and allowances by Nigeria’s legislators and political office holders in spite of the call by many Nigerians for a drastic reduction in the number of government functionaries and their emoluments.
“Synod further observed that only few state governments have effected the required changes to lower the cost of governance in the contrary. Synod consequently calls on the various governments to, as a matter of urgency, yield to the call and reduce cost of governance.”
The clerics also noted that the Federal Government should take urgent steps and secure​ the lives of Nigerians and put in place measures to enforce discipline in all facets of the Nigerian polity.
It also called on the Federal Government to make a categorical decision on oil subsidy removal in order to put to rest the continued embezzlement of public funds by a small clique through services not rendered to the nation.
“Synod implored ​the ​government to plough back the gains of oil subsidy removal ​in​to the refurbishment of the nation’s refineries for optimal performance​,​ to make petroleum products readily available to the Nigerian populace,” the communiqué stated.
The clerics urged the government to improve power generation and distribution in order to stimulate economic development, as well as reform the oil sector by ensuring probity in its management through appointment of honest professionals to run it.