August 25, (THEWILL) — The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Social-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, have faulted the move by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to raise pay for political and public office holders in Nigeria, particularly the President, Vice President, Governors, their deputies, and the country’s lawmakers, describing it as insensitive, inequitable, patently unlawful and unconstitutional.
While the NLC urged the Commission to put the exercise on hold “before it triggers a tsunami,” SERAP, tasked the Federal Government to direct the Commission to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor directing the RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of the members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.
THEWILL recalls that RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, last week Monday in Abuja, argued that the salary for public office holders had been stagnant since 2008 and was in need of urgent review.
Mohammed disclosed that President Bola Tinubu earns N1.5m monthly, while ministers received less than N1m as against officials in institutions like the Central Bank on Nigeria, who earn more.
“You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5m a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that it is a joke,” he said, adding that, “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.”
According to him, it is about time that Nigerians supported the Commission to come up with reasonable living salaries for ministers, DGs and the President.
In their separate reactions on Sunday, the NLC described the proposed pay rise as insensitive, unjust, inequitable that will deepen, “the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders,” and end up triggering social unrest in the country.
In a statement entitled ‘Insensitive, Unjust, Inequitable and a Direct Threat to Social Stability,’ the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, declared that “the proposal would deepen poverty among Nigerians, most of whom have been classified as multi-dimensionally poor.”
He said, “We have listened with a growing apprehension to the justification for this ill-advised adventure by the Chairman of RMAFC, Mr Mohammed Usman, but we find it appropriate to warn that making public-office a sanctuary for wealth-making (for literally doing nothing) instead of service and sacrifice will raise the stakes/desperation for the quest for public office with its intended and unintended consequences, including self-extinction.
“Mohammed Usman’s explanations, largely puerile, insult our collective intelligence as they say nothing of the humongous advantages tied to these offices elegantly couched as perquisites, ways and means, while the poor live only on hopes and dreams (Bob Marley). This is aside from other unwritten and unmentionable advantages that set them apart from the other disadvantaged citizenry.
According to Ajaero, this exercise is coming at a time of promotion and salary freeze in most public subsectors and the continued imposition and operation of N70,000 minimum wage because there are no resources to pay higher, “in spite of insane tariff hikes.”
“We recall the last time a wage review (not minimum wage) was done for civil servants, it was not more than 50 per cent. However, when that of political office holders was done a year or so later, it was in excess of 800 per cent,” he said.
He questioned why rules like resource availability are used in fixing salaries, wage reviews and promotions for civil servants, but waved for political office holders.
“We equally note with dismay that whereas states operate different pay structures for civil servants, the pay structures of political office holders are the same across the country. This explains why a Councillor in Yobe State earns the same salary as a Councillor in Rivers State. While we recognise the need for good remuneration packages, they should be across the board and equitable and not done on the basis of discrimination, as that runs contrary to the letter and spirit of our constitution, he said.
For due process purposes, Ajaero demanded that the current earnings of all political office holders should be made public, the benchmark for the proposed review should equally be made public and RMAFC should put on hold “this exercise before it triggers a tsunami.”
For SERAP, the illegality and unconstitutionality of the proposed pay rise for political office holders across the country, the group urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to ensure full and effective compliance with the judgment of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor directing the RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of the members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.
SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates clearly do not imply the unrestrained powers to increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies and lawmakers.
SERAP noted that Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordered the RMAFC to review downward and fix the salaries, remuneration or allowances of members of the National Assembly to reflect the economic realities in the country.
“The judgement dated 4 June 2021 followed the consolidated suits brought by Mr Monday Ubani, Mr John Nwokwu, more than 1,500 concerned Nigerians, SERAP, BudgIT and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE). Under sections 154(1) and 156(3) and paragraph 31, Part I of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution, Members of the Commission are appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate.”
Oluwadare said, “Rather than reviewing downward the salaries of political and public office holders to reflect the current economic challenges in the country, the Commission is arbitrarily increasing the salaries for the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers. The imminent pay rise for political and public office holders in Nigeria, particularly the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers, is a gross misuse of the RMAFC’s constitutional and statutory mandates.
“RMFAC cannot legitimately or justifiably increase the salaries of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are poor and several state governments are failing to pay salaries of workers and pensions.
According to him, the imminent pay rise for political office holders is a gross violation of the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] relating to Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and the country’s international human rights obligations.
“The combined provisions of chapter 2 and chapter 4 on fundamental rights, particularly section 42, give meaning and substance to the socio-economic rights of Nigerians and their right to equality and non-discrimination,” he said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
