PDP goes broke, set to reduce staff strength, salaries, allowances by 50%

Barely two months into its new status as the opposition political party, having governed the country for sixteen years, the Peoples Democratic Party, has started struggling with the challenge of being an opposition, as it yesterday announced that the party will reduce allowances, staff strength by 50%

The party has also said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50%, even as the allowances of members of the National Working Committee, NWC would be slashed down by 50%.

In a letter signed by PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and addressed to all director and administrative staff of PDP, the leadership of the Party would also reduce the number of its security by 50%.

The letter dated 29 July, 2015 with reference number PS/DD/AD/HOD/SAs/PAS and obtained by Vanguard, the Secretary who noted that the decisions were reached at the 406th meeting of the NWC yesterday, stressed that the party’s Research Directorate has also been abolished and functions of the Directorate transferred to the Peoples Democratic Institute.

The copy of the memo, entitled “Reorganization and Restructuring of Staff at the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party”, read in full, “The NWC, at its 406^th meeting held on 29^th July, 2015, considered the Report on the reorganization and restructuring of staff at the National Secretariat and approved the

following:
 i.         Reduction of the allowances of all NWC members by 50%.

ii.         Reduction of the number of personal staff of the NWC members by 50%

iii.         Reduction in the number of security personnel attached to the National Officers by 50%

iv.        The reduction of the salaries and allowances of all staff (Establishment and

           Staff of NWC members) by 50% effective August, 2015.

v.        Abolition of the Research Directorate and transfer of its functions to the Peoples Democratic Institute.

“Furthermore, Establishment staff who would remain are required to obtain individual letter of revalidation from their State Party Chapter within one month of this circular as to their suitability for service at the National Secretariat.”