The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reconsider its decision to reduce its workforce.
In a statement on Sunday in Kaduna, the group said, the sacking of workers at this time of economic hardship will throw the affected workers into hardship and psychological trauma.
The AYA in a statement on Sunday, signed by Mohammed Salihu Danlami, its spokesperson noted that the CBN recently announced plans to reduce its workforce, with reports indicating that more than 1,000 employees have either resigned voluntarily or will be laid off.
The AYA said the CBN accused the CBN of being insensitive to the current economic situation facing Nigerians by planning to reduce its workforce.
“At a time when our nation is grappling with severe economic challenges, the decision by the CBN to sack its workers will throw the victims into the current economic hardship and exacerbate the situation” the statement said.
Danlami argued that “Nigeria has been facing significant economic distress, a situation exacerbated by various factors, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating oil prices, and ongoing security challenges.
“This backdrop makes the timing of the CBN’s decision not only imprudent but insensitive.
“It is unfathomable that an institution that is supposed to safeguard the financial health of the nation would engage in mass layoffs, thereby further destabilising the economy and increasing poverty levels”.
The AYA maintained that, the layoffs can lead to increased rate of mental health issues and increase in criminal activities as individuals struggle to provide for their families.
The statement also raised ethical questions regarding the voluntary resignations of some of the CBN staff.
“To claim that over 1,000 employees voluntarily chose to leave their jobs in such a precarious economic climate is an untenable position.
“The language used in the official statements drips with insidious undertones, implying that employees were subjected to pressure and intimidation to make these resignations appear voluntary.
“Such an approach is not only grossly unethical but sets a dangerous precedence where employees are coerced into making decisions that affect their livelihoods and futures”, the AYA said.
The group warned that no section of the country should be discriminated should the CBN insist to go ahead with the planned sacked.
It called on the CBN to be transparent in the process by publishing the list of affected employees state by state.
The AYA also insisted that the sacking of the workers must follow the principles of federal character.
The group warned that any attempt to favour any particular section in the excercise would be resisted.
The statement said, the AYA “stands firmly against job cuts proposed by the CBN as timing is wrong considering the economic hardship in the country”.
