The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated a Presidential Committee on the Harmonisation of Salaries in the Public Service.
The committee, headed by the Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Sali,?has the Chairman, National?Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, the Chairman, National Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the Permanent Secretary/Solicitor-General, Federal Ministry of Justice and Director-general, Budget Office of the Federation as members.
Other members are the Clerk of the National Assembly (NASS), the Director, Personnel Management, NASS,?the Director Legal Services, NASS, the Chief Registrar, Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Secretary, National Judicial? Council,
and the Permanent Secretary, Economic Affairs Office, who will also serve as the secretary.
In a speech at the inauguration, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said the committee was set up because “over the years, the FG has been inundated with several requests for salary adjustments and reviews''.
Anyim noted that the affected government agencies had justified their requests for special salary grades on the basis of the peculiar or specialised nature of their work, international competitiveness and the need to motivate their staff.
“While this development might have had some positive impacts on the well being of the staff of the respective agencies, the incessant requests have given rise to the divergent salary structure with very wide relativity gaps, amongst the various agencies in the public service.
“The consequence of this is the very high public service wage bill that puts a serious strain on the recurrent expenditure of the Federal Government,'' he said.
Anyim said the current situation was not healthy for the public service in particular and the country in general.
He said the mandate of the committee was to examine the proliferation of different salary structure in the Nigerian public service and advise the government on how to evolve a harmonised salary structure on the basis of relativity ?in the grading of the remuneration.
He also said that it was expected that at the end of the committee’s assignment, there would be a progressive reduction in the recurrent expenditure in favour of more resources allocated for the annual capital budget.
The committee has the following terms of reference: ?To undertake an appraisal of the previous reviews of the salary structures in the Federal Public Service and assess their relevance in the country’s present circumstance.
To examine the salary structures of the various sectors of the Federal Public Service within the context of their respective job contents and determine the justification for the existing pay system on the basis of relativities .
To examine the cause(s) for the continuing quest for special salary scales in the Federal Public Service and its attendant proliferation of salary structures and bloating of the national wage bill.
Others are to examine the possibility and modalities for the adoption of a harmonised pay and compensation policy for the entire Federal Public Service rational and equitable remuneration structure in the Federal Public Service and curb the incessant agitation for upward review of wages and salaries.
To make any other recommendation(s) which in the opinion of the committee is/are relevant to its assignment.
The committee has three weeks?to submit its report.
Responding on behalf of the members of the committee, the Head of Service?said the membership was well thought of as it included everybody that had a stake in the issue of remuneration in the public service.
He promised that the committee would work within the time stipulated and examine the terms of reference and work assiduously to ensure that “we deliver on the mandate given to the committee''. (NAN)
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