An Open Letter to the Governor of Kaduna State His Excellency, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai -By Dokpesi Timothy Adidi

It gives me great pleasure to say to you Happy New Year Your Excellency Sir, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and to congratulate you. It is a Happy New Year because I have not been able to reach you since the
beginning of this year in my usual open letter to your office. This is due to the very fact that I have really been engaged to the point that it was difficult to have time in matters of political engagement. I could only do this within the confines of the classroom as I discuss with students; but not to the level of reaching out to you.

Secondly, I say congratulations on the grounds that you escaped death when you were diagnosed positive with Covid-19 and after been quarantine for weeks you later tested negative. We thank God (Allah) for your life and wish you more years of fruitful service to Nigeria.

I usually write my letters when there is a need to address very critical issues that affect the life of the ordinary people living in Kaduna State. The best way for government to measure its success, then, it should get feedback from the people. Your Excellency Sir, for every decision you take in consultation with your team, there must be a very good reason why such decision was made. But again, in a democracy like ours, it is very much all about the people and this I know you are very much aware of. As such, I believe by virtue of your education and the vast experience that you have in political life, you know whatever affects the people it is their right to speak out.

Recently, the people of Kaduna State woke up to the knowledge that salaries will or has been slashed by 25% (Twenty-Five Percent) as announced by your media adviser. The reasons your office gave for the cut of salaries was to see how possible we can wither the storm and for emergency responses owing to the present situation of Covid-19. Hence, every Civil/Public Servant should give 25% (Twenty-Five Percent) of their take home pay and which most time do not take them home.

Your Excellency Sir, for me this was not a bad idea because of the good intentions on your part. Nonetheless, one might have a genuine case but the way and manner a person goes about it matters much. I think this might be where the problem lies.

I have received numerous calls from residents of Kaduna State expressing their dissatisfaction for what they might consider as unbearable to their own situation. This is because most of this people
who are beneficiaries of government salaries also have their own responsibilities towards others; and removing 25% (Twenty-Five Percent) from their salaries has also kept them and their relatives
who depend on them in a difficult situation. Therefore, Your Excellency Sir, in trying to solve problems we might be creating more problems and hardship for the people; and most especially in this moment of Covid-19 were things seems stagnant.

Your Excellency, it is true that Principal Political Officers in the Federal Government have donated half of their salaries for the fight against Covid-19 by way of palliatives. Sir, you will agree with me that there is a big gap between this Principal Political Office holders and the “common” civil servant of the state. In Nigeria, a Senator receives more than N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) a month compare to a civil servant who receives N60,000.00 (Sixty Thousand Naira) a month in a State; and given the fact that minimum wage is N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira). Now, whether these law makers actually and truly made this sacrifice is what as Nigerians we cannot
ascertain; when considering the level of trust deficit we have as a people on political leaders.

Your Excellency, I think that after consulting your immediate team on the need for the salary cut, the people who are directly affected by the cut should have been consulted through the democratic space. It would have even been expected that government should in themselves do more to help alleviate the condition of the people in this Covid-19 lockdown. Again, it is left for people to make sacrifices themselves as freewill and not an imposition.

I hope again Your Excellency Sir, we can go back to the drawing board to have a rethink of this decision so as to make the people of Kaduna State smile in the midst of the lockdown Covid-19.

I wish you Happy Workers Day.

ADIDI, Dokpesi Timothy
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