Harmonise MDAs salary scale, tackle job racketeering, SDP advises FG

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has called on the Federal Government to address disparity in the salaries of workers in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

SDP National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, made the call on Monday in Abuja at programme organised by the party to commemorate the International Youth Day 2024.

Gabam also called on government to address the problem of job racketeering that has remained a great barrier for Nigerians youth to secure their dream jobs.

“We have applied diabolism, ethnicity, and who-know-who in employment. If you are not the son of someone, nobody will employ you. This is how bad the system is.

“Some people in government establishments collect money up to one, two, three million Naira for someone to get employed. That is the kind of situation we are going through.

“For fellow Nigerians to get a job, their parents who sold their property to send them to school will have to also sell something to get them employed.

“There is no greater disservice than this. I wish President Bola Tinubu will pay attention to those ministries and parastatals that they call juicy,” he said.

Gabam called on the Federal Government to apply the same salary scale structure for all MDAs instead of making one to look superior to the other.

“People who are working in NNPC are meant to look more superior than people that are working in the Ministry of Information.

“People that are working in port authorities are made to feel that they are superior to their fellow Nigerians.

“These are MDAs are parastatals of the same government, but we discriminate even on the salary scale, and we think we are doing the right thing? We think that the composition is right? It can never be right,” he said.

According to him, until government decides to harmonise salaries of all MDAs, parents will be struggling to get their sons or daughters employed in Nigeria Port Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service or NNPC.

“Every ministry can be a juicy ministry, it depends on who is there. It is not about the office, it is unlikely about the individual. Any individual can turn any ministry into one of the most attractive ministries in Nigeria,” he said.

He also urged the youth to join hands in making Nigeria a better place for all

In his remarks, the SDP National Youth Leader, Mr Uchechukwu Ogbonna, said that it was time for the youths to rise up and channel their energy to transform their frustrations into actionable solutions.

Ogbonna said that instead of merely complaining about the issues, the youths should mobilise themselves, engage, and lead the charge for change.

He said that the Nigeria youth demographic accounted for 75 per cent of the country’s voting population, adding that the figure is not just a statistic.

“It is a clarion call for them to harness their collective strength and influence,” he said.

He also advised the youth to be active in the political space.

“Remember, the future of Nigeria Is not just in the hands of those in power; it is in our hands as well.

“As we celebrate International Youth Day, let us commit to being proactive agents of change. Let us transform our passion into action, our ideas into policy, and our dreams into reality.

“SDP is here to support us the youths of Nigeria on this journey. Together, we can create a Nigeria that reflects our values, aspirations, and the unyielding spirit of our youth,” he said.

Ogbonna also urged the youth to embrace SDP and its youth initiatives, saying the party youth-driven and believes in the voices, ideas, and aspirations of the younger generation.