Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has asked the federal government to cut workers’ salaries.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme, the lawmaker said workers should not be paid full salaries since they have not resumed.
Ndume, however, urged the government to provide palliatives for the workers if they are expected to make such sacrifice.
“Government should critically look at the personnel and recurrent expenditure which consumes about 70 per cent of the budget. Money should be pumped into capital,” Ndume said.
“People should make sacrifices. This is the time to look at issues critically. But as I said, When I talk like this – and make my opinion – people look at it and call me all sorts of names. But I try to express myself.
“I think there should be more sacrifice, especially on the personnel side. How can you sustain the same personnel and overhead costs when even the work that you are doing, most people don’t go to the office now, and they are being paid fully for the month.
“Is there any justification for that? If you cannot work because of the pandemic, then you should be given palliatives and be paid less.”
The federal government had asked the civil servants to stay at home in order to check the spread of COVID-19.