Baba-Ahmed: Dishonest leaders can’t tackle corruption in public service

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), says dishonest political leadership cannot address corruption in public service.

While appearing on Daily Politics, a Trust Television programme, on Tuesday, Baba-Ahmed said the government can only get the best from the public service if workers are incentivised.

The former permanent secretary said it is wrong that politicians take home millions of naira in salaries and allowances while civil servants who do the work go home with meagre salaries.

“You need to have a president and governance who will genuinely recognize the fact that governance is 90 percent the work of the public servants and you allow them enough scope and you incentivise them enough,” he said.

“You will get quality governance in place and you must curb corruption. A political leadership which is corrupt cannot stop public servants from being corrupt.

“You have to give people living wages. You can’t be giving people N50,000 a month and you expect them to perform optimally.

“That money alone if used for transport will last the earner only one week, just to come from home and go back.

“This is crazy and yet politicians take home millions and millions of money. The real people who do the work of government are the civil servants. Why should legislators, ministers and governors be taking hundreds of millions home? It is wrong.”