A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode George, has taken a swipe at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission over its plan to review upward the salaries of President Bola Tinubu, his cabinet members, and other categories of elected political office holders.
The PUNCH had reported that RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Shehu, on Monday at a press conference in Abuja, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu earns N1.5m monthly, while ministers received less than N1m, figures that have remained unchanged since 2008.
“You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5m a month, with a population of over 200m people. Everybody believes that it is a joke. You cannot pay a minister less than N1m per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a Central Bank of Nigeria governor or a Director General 10 times more than you pay the President. That is just not right. Or you pay him (the head of an agency) 20 times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is not right.”
“It’s about time that people support the commission to come up with reasonable living salaries for ministers, DGs, and the President,” the RMAFC boss stated on Monday.
Speaking with The PUNCH on the matter, George described the mere thought of an increment in the salaries of the President and other political leaders as a display of a selfish attitude by the RMAFC.
He said, “This is a very insensitive attitude. The people are hungry, and between the people and the government, who should sacrifice for the other? Why are they thinking about this now? That is why I told Okonjo-Iweala to get off because of the nonsense she was saying recently. She was talking rubbish. In a sensible country, who should sacrifice for the other?
“What are they reviewing their salaries for? Look at the billions they have to play with. These people should have the fear of God and do the right thing for once. Families are hungry and unable to pay the school fees for their children. This should bother these people, not an increase in the earnings of politicians.”
A Labour Party chieftain and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Tanko Yunusa, said, “This is not the right time to increase the salaries of elected political office holders, considering the fact that the majority of the civil servants are grossly underpaid.
These are the people we ought to show interest in, not the politicians. They are the first line of defence for us. Our leaders ought to show empathy for those who cannot fend for themselves based on the meagre sum they are getting as salaries.
“It is so embarrassing that people working in large numbers, who cannot cater for their families and their loved ones, are not the ones we are talking about here. Our leaders should realise that theirs is a call to service. They must think about the people and not themselves.”
Similarly, the New Nigeria People’s Party expressed worry over the timing of the proposal, noting that the suffering of ordinary citizens should have been enough to provide a counsel for the revenue allocation commission.
NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, added that more money in the hands of political leaders would worsen the prevailing inflationary trend in the country.
“Looking at the situation in the country, I don’t think the RMAFC has taken into cognisance the economic circumstances and the suffering that Nigerians are going through, given the inflation in the cost of goods and services. An increase in salary for the president and other officers at this point will only lead to inflation trends going up. If you recall, the government, time and again, urged unions like the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to show some understanding that their salaries cannot be increased.
“We know that the salaries of these people are nothing compared with their huge allowances; yet, they want to increase their monthly pay, rather than come up with measures to improve the living conditions of the poor masses. The call is ill-timed, just as it is unfortunate,” the NNPP scribe said.
In the same vein, the Young Progressives Party described the move as unfortunate, citing the inadequacy of the minimum wage to meet the basic needs of most families.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Wale Egbeola-Martins said, “The Young Progressives Party views as grossly insensitive and callous the proposed plan by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to increase the salaries of the president, ministers, and other elected political leaders under the guise that their current earnings are quite small.
“At a time when Nigerians are yet to see the commencement of the meagre ₦70k minimum wage and when hardworking professionals such as lecturers, medical practitioners, security operatives and countless other critical sectors remain underpaid and undervalued, this proposal stands as a blatant affront on justice and fairness.
“Nigerians are already struggling under the harsh economic realities inflicted by the ruling class, with soaring inflation, unemployment and dwindling purchasing power. For the political elite to even contemplate rewarding themselves with higher pay is nothing short of a shameless overreach, a reward for incompetence and proof of their detachment from the suffering masses.”
The party called on Nigerians to resist the move, insisting that those in power must demonstrate leadership and sacrifice in the interest of the governed.
“The YPP strongly asserts that this plan must not only be rejected but also resisted by all well-meaning Nigerians. Leadership is about sacrifice, empathy, and service, not self-enrichment at the expense of the people. Until the government prioritises workers’ welfare and delivers real economic relief to the citizens, any attempt to increase political office holders’ salaries will remain illegitimate, provocative, and unacceptable,” he added.
RMAFC prioritising greedy appetites of politicians-CUPP
The Coalition of United Political Parties’ National Secretary, Peter Ameh, said the commission’s interest in high earnings for elected office holders was condemnable.
He said, “The RMAFC’s reckless haste in prioritising the greedy appetites of public officials over the desperate needs of the masses is a scandalous misstep that must be condemned in the strongest terms. This is not governance—it’s a shameless grab for more at the expense of Nigeria’s struggling majority.
“The proposed 114 per cent salary increase for political office holders is not only unjustifiable but also tone-deaf, considering the economic realities facing our country. We believe that political office is a service to the nation, not a means to accumulate wealth. The lack of transparency regarding the current earnings of these officials, including substantial allowances and perks, is fueling public scepticism and mistrust. Nigerians demand transparency since these earnings are funded by public resources.
“We find it disturbing that the RMAFC is prioritising the welfare of political office holders over that of security personnel, particularly police officers who are grossly underpaid and overworked. We urge the government to redirect its focus towards improving the living conditions of public workers, who are the backbone of our country.”
‘Workers must benefit’
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre has called on the Federal Government to ensure that Nigerian workers benefit equally from the ongoing review of the country’s revenue allocation formula and salary structures, not just politicians and their political appointees.
CISLAC’s Director General, Auwal Rafsanjani, made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja during a press conference to announce the signing of a three-year memorandum of understanding between civil society organisations and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association.
Rafsanjani explained that while the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission was reviewing the revenue sharing formula and remuneration of public officials, it was crucial to extend the process to cover ordinary workers whose livelihoods had been eroded by subsidy removal and rising inflation.
He said, “Just yesterday (Monday), we were at the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission to discuss how the new revenue formula should be in Nigeria, given the fact that for almost two or three decades, the revenue sharing formula has not been reviewed, and given the trend of events, the new emerging issues in the country, it is only proper that the allocations are reviewed, and also the salaries of the political appointees and the elected officials, they want to review it.
“I used the opportunity to also argue that even though the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission is not responsible for the increase of the salaries and wages of the workers, but it is important to synergise that to ensure that whatever is reviewed is going to happen for the political officers and appointees, it is also fair to ensure that other workers are equally given the necessary remuneration for enhanced productivity, for them to also meet with the daily challenges, especially when subsidies have been withdrawn in education, in healthcare system, in transportation, in housing.”
The CISLAC boss argued that Nigerian workers faced worsening poverty as a result of subsidy removal in education, healthcare, transportation, and housing. According to him, a fair wage system was necessary to enhance productivity and national development.
“It is only proper that you also provide enabling wages for the Nigerian workers to be able to be productive and to be able to also escape that poverty that has continued to undermine our economic growth and development in Nigeria. So I hope that that review will also take into consideration the other Nigerian workers, not only the politicians and the political appointees, who many Nigerians also cry that a senator’s salary pays for several professors in Nigeria. So we hope that that will also be taken into consideration,” he added.
Rafsanjani expressed hope that the review would prioritise the plight of ordinary workers to foster inclusive growth and reduce inequality between the haves and have-not.(Punch)
