“With The Profligacy In Govt There Is No Sign We Are Going Through Tough Times” – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said on Saturday, that despite the economic crisis bedevilling the nation with at least 27 states unable to pay salaries to their workers, there was no evidence that any tier of government was cutting down the cost of governance.

Falana said this in a paper he presented on Saturday in Abuja at a symposium organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress as part of its activities marking this year’s Workers’ Day.

According to Falana, profligacy remains the order of the day in government circles at all levels.

He said, “With the profligacy in government there is no sign that we are going through tough times.

“Our public officers are paid the highest travelling allowances or estacode while our legislators are the highest paid in the world.

“After collecting wardrobe, housing and vehicle allowances of billions of Naira the federal legislators have placed orders for the purchase of exotic cars which they approved for themselves.

“The payment of the illegal security votes by the federal, state and local governments has not ceased.”

He said there were still 11 planes in the presidential fleet, over 70 per cent of the budget still goes into “servicing of parasitic bureaucracy” while governors still travel so regularly to Abuja and other places in hired jets.

He added that “no government has reviewed projects that constitute a drain on public treasury” while public officers were still moving around in long convoys.

He also said jobs, which could be handled by civil servants, were still being given out to contractors at skyrocketing prices.