I'm not myopic. Neither can I become a victim of myopia in terms of planning for the future. For example, if I am given the opportunity to be a lawmaker representing my constituents, I will not fail to plan ahead for the countless and numerous challenges that might arise when I get to the specific post. Specifically, a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that various assignments has been assigned to for him to properly administer; and they end up disappointing the public with a greedy mindset and a cunning heart to ghost the jobs that are meant for the living. It’s a shame that it’s only in Nigeria, especially public service, that the dead earn salaries while the living starves to death.

It is believed that when an eligible worker in a private or government firm retires he/she is entitled to a gratuity and probably pension in the long-run, unless the worker dies in the process of work. In such cases, his supposed family can get the gratuity and continue to receive his/her pension, when available. That is understandable. Today, the dead gets paid in the Nigerian civil service – both states and federal. This is made possible by dubious officers working in such establishments ghosting on the payroll and receiving monies meant for the family of the deceased and non-existent workers.

Most people today in Nigeria have lost their conscience; and everyday multitudes groan in pains of joblessness. Yet, some heartless officials that has the power to be in the position of authority create ghost workers to be receiving salaries from the Nigerian treasury while skilled and educated able-bodied men and women that probably has no jobs parade the streets in search of employment.

In the long run, ghost-jobbing can be tackled by appointing the most truthful and honest candidates to handle all available federal and state government jobs for real human beings to work. But, because an average Nigerian is selfish and greedy, no one wants to make it right because of fear or caucus members and external cabals. The most intrinsic thing one can do is not doing it right. We are all under the guidance of the Universal God. And being universal, He has cabals that can be likened to the angels that work for him, under his instructions. Therefore, why can’t Nigerians follow due process of regularly taking excellent decisions and stand on our word? Let that sink in deeply.

To eradicate eternal poverty in this great country called Nigeria is to create billions of opportunities for the whole citizenry, most especially the youth; because they need to put both hands on deck, making changes in whatever environment the individually finds him/her self. Empowerment programmes should not be the core point of any leader attaining a position of authority. The present norm that every leader has adopted is creating fake names in their various ministries to multiply their income through dubious means. The same thing is happening in the 774,000 Federal Government’s cleaning job. It is reported that PhD and MSC holders have all applied for cleaning job willing to earn the sum of N20,000 monthly.

Please, my faithful reader, what does that tell you about job creation in Nigeria? And job availability for qualified candidates? And on being employed on merited terms, not by I have an uncle that works there connect. The handlers of this project should fear God and follow due process. They should make sure the vulnerable ones, most essentially, are beneficiaries of these jobs even if it’s a meagre work to do.

•Mike-Nifty, a public affairs analyst, can be reached via nifty.mics@yahoo.com

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