The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed plans by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the remuneration packages of political office holders.
RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Shehu, had recently disclosed that President Bola Tinubu earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than ₦1 million figures he claimed have remained unchanged since 2008. He described the current salaries as inadequate.
But NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in a statement issued on Sunday, condemned the proposal as “insensitive, unjust, inequitable,” warning that it would worsen poverty levels and deepen inequality between civil servants and politicians.
“We are outraged by the decision of the RMAFC to embark on this ill-advised exercise. It will only make public office a sanctuary for wealth-making instead of service and sacrifice. We demand that the current earnings of all political office holders, as well as the benchmark for the proposed review, be made public. RMAFC should put on hold this exercise before it triggers a tsunami,” Ajaero said.
The labour leader recalled that while civil servants’ wage reviews hardly exceed 50 percent and are tied to resource availability, political office holders in the past enjoyed increments of over 800 percent. He also faulted the uniform pay structure for politicians nationwide, contrasting it with the disparity civil servants face across states.
The NLC maintained that any review of salaries should be fair, across board, and reflective of equity, warning that the current move amounts to “modern-day apartheid” that could further inflame social discontent in the country.
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