You see, dear reader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has just given his approval to a policy that would make a king envious. The good Interior Minister made the proclamation at what they call a "Ministerial Retreat" in Abuja, beaming with satisfaction.
What's the hullabaloo, you ask? Why, it's about guaranteeing that select public servants will continue to receive their full salary until the day they depart this mortal coil. But mark my words - this golden ticket ain't for your average government worker.
Certainly not! This special treatment is exclusively for those lucky individuals who retire at the elevated positions of the highest echelons of service in agencies under the Interior Ministry's umbrella.
The official reason – and I convey this solemnly – is to prevent these distinguished individuals from facing financial hardship. Think on that a spell! As if a top brass with a lifetime in authority would be left destitute.
This remarkable scheme comes alongside other improvements including clearing a pile of over 50,000 pending promotions and creating what they're calling a "world-class Fire Academy" to compare with the one in Arizona. Advancement continues, or so they assert.
I've seen many a government concoct schemes to benefit their members, but this lifetime salary arrangement beats all. Any thinking person would ask: Why not extend such generosity to each civil servant? More fittingly, to the ordinary folks whose money pays these salaries?The contrast with other public servants remains plain as day. Many a police retiree still wait years for retirement funds that amount to a pittance.
In bringing this tale to a close, I must come again to our topic: the perpetual remuneration of Nigeria's high-ranking officials. This August 2025 policy tells us volumes about the concerns of those who govern. And that, my friend, is a reality worth contemplating long after you've finished reading these words.
