The proposal to increase the salaries of President Bola Tinubu, governors, ministers, and other political office holders is tone deaf, considering the dire economic situation in the country.
Development Diaries reports that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recently revealed moves to review upwards the remuneration of government officials.
According to the RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, the current earnings of the Nigerian President, Governors, and and Ministers are inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated.
The real question here should be, is the minimum wage realistic?
At a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with poverty, hunger, and inflation, RMAFC has chosen to champion a cause that prioritises the comfort of politicians over the survival of citizens.
The claim that current political salaries are ‘inadequate’ and ‘outdated’ is tone-deaf in a nation where the minimum wage cannot even buy a bag of rice.
This move exposes the deep disconnect between the political class and the lived realities of ordinary Nigerians.
While RMAFC insists that a president earning N1.5 million a month is ‘inadequate’ and ‘unrealistic’, the real joke is on civil servants and workers who are forced to endure stagnated wages, delayed salaries, and the rising cost of living.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rightly condemned the proposal as unjust and inequitable, stressing that such an upward review would only widen the gulf between leaders and the led.
For most citizens, the issue is not whether political salaries are adequate but whether governance is delivering any real value.
Recall that Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Lagos had ordered in 2021 that RMAFC should ensure that the excessive allowances of lawmakers are fixed to reflect the struggle of Nigerians.
Unfortunately, rather than reviewing downward the salaries, the commission is proposing for the salaries to be increased.
Taking into consideration Nigeria’s economic struggles, this proposal could not have come at a worse time.
Inflation has pushed the price of basic food items beyond the reach of average households and reforms like subsidy removal and exchange rate liberalisation have continued to inflict hardship on citizens.
The same government that urges Nigerians to ‘tighten their belts’ cannot be seen loosening its own in the name of a pay rise. Such contradictions erode public trust.
Development Diaries calls on RMAFC to immediately suspend any plans for salary increases and instead initiate a transparent public audit of what political office holders currently earn in both salaries and allowances.
We also call on President Tinubu, governors, and the National Assembly leadership to show restraint and embrace sacrifice in solidarity with the people they govern.
The focus should be on improving the living wage for workers, strengthening social safety nets, and tackling the corruption that bleeds public funds.
Photo source: RMAFC
