Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Muhammad Shehu, has said the salaries of politicians, judicial and public office holders would be increased by 114 per cent.
Shehu, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, spoke on Tuesday while presenting the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris.
But the development drew the ire of civil society organisations, CSOs, law lecturer and Senator Shehu Sani, who argued that the ordinary worker, whose take-home pay was nothing to write home about was the one that deserved such wage increment and not politicians.
The RMAFC Chairman, who was represented by a federal commissioner in the commission, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, said the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023.
He said the move was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Government (as amended).
He advised the Houses of Assembly in the states to move quickly on the amendment of relevant laws to pave way for upward review of income packages for political, judicial and public officers.
He said the last remuneration review was conducted in 2007, adding that it culminated in the “certain political, public and judicial office holders (salaries and allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008”.
Tanko-Ayuba said: “Sixteen years after the last review, it is imperative that the remuneration packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended) be reviewed.
However, spokesman of the commission, Mr Chris Chukwu, dismissed his boss’ claim that a 114 per cent salary increase had been effected for the President and other public office holders.
“There is a process that must be followed for such salary review. That process has not been undertaken,” he explained.
According to him, to review salaries of public office holders, the commission can only make a recommendation to the president who will submit it to the National Assembly in form of a bill.
He added that after passing such a bill, it would then be sent to the president to sign it into law for the review to become effective.
CSOs oppose salary increase
Reacting to the development yesterday, civil society organisations expressed strong opposition to it.
They raised concerns over the country’s economic stability and social inequality, with the proposed salary increase potentially exacerbating existing issues.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), described the increase as “unjustifiable” in an exclusive interview with Vanguard.
“They are already being overpaid. The country’s resources cannot sustain the salary increases,” Musa said.
He added that the move was unfair to other workers and professionals who contribute significantly to Nigeria’s development, such as teachers, doctors, engineers, and lawyers.
Musa also warned that the salary increase would further widen inequality and disparity among Nigerians, as well as increase political violence.
In another exclusive interview with Vanguard, Dr. Zikirullahi Ibrahim, Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education, CHRICED, criticized the current administration’s decision.
“If the current government were acting in good faith, its primary concern would be how to lift over 133 million Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty,” Dr. Ibrahim said.
On his part, a law lecturer, Mr Gbenga Ojo, described the development as absurd.
He said: ”The civil servants who are the engine rooms of their various ministries and by extension of the government, despite the galloping inflation and increase in the prices of fuel and other attendant consequences on the cost of living across the board, are not enjoying such a privilege.
”Cost of electricity is also on the increase. Middle-class will go into extinction. The decision, unless it cuts across, is immoral and indefensible.
”What of teachers, lecturers or doctors? Well let’s wait and see the consequences of all these actions. Civil servants will collect taxes etc and political office holders will take the money, difficult to understand.”
Reacting through his verified twitter account, Senator Shehu Sani, said: Raising the minimum wage of poor workers should come first before that of the elites holding public offices.
”With this 114 per cent increase, a federal legislator will earn about N2million monthly salary and N25million monthly running cost for his office. Money derived from the removal of subsidy should be spent wisely.”
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