By Uche Amunike
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded Nigerian presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, has faulted President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as the judicial workers for their salaries, which is about to be increased by 114%, as proposed by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), recently.
This disclosure was made in a series of tweets on his verified Instagram handle, Thursday, where he expressed how disappointed he was over the insensitive salary increase for political officeholders especially at this time that Nigeria was facing untold hardship and a dire economic situation.
He advised the political leaders in the country to focus on lessening the cost of governance and alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians.
Hear him: ‘I learnt with great reservation, the approval of a 114% increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).’
‘This is not the appropriate time for such a salary increment if it is at all necessary. We are living in a time when an average Nigerian is struggling with harsh economic realities and with over 130 million Nigerians now living in poverty.’
‘This is a moment when recent reform measures by the government have increased living costs astronomically. One would expect the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance, alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. This moment calls for creative ways of pulling the majority out of poverty.’
Obi enjoined President Bola Tinubu and other leaders to make what affects Nigerians a priority, while citing the words of Julius Ceaser: ‘The leaders, therefore, should prioritize what affects the masses and those on the lower strata of society over themselves.’
On his part, the Director of the Center for Social Justice, CENSOJ, Ezeh Onyekpere, has also described the proposed increase as irrational, illogical and antithetical to common sense. His words: ‘The proposed increase is irrational, illogical, antithetical to reason and common sense, considering that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been asking Nigerians to sacrifice and offer something in the national interest, the expectation was that such sacrifices by the popular masses of Nigerians, the poorest of the poor would have been matched with a greater sacrifice which should have been announced by the leadership class, who told us to tighten our belts.’
‘The fact that people have lost their jobs and livelihood and their wages and salaries can no longer take them home in view of the increase in the price of PMS, following the withdrawal of subsidy and of course the liberalization of the Foreign Exchange regime which has increased prices.’
Also condemning the 114% salary increase is Social and Economic Rights advocate, Frank Tietie, who stated, during an interview, that President Bola Tinubu and the governors should have announced that they would not be collecting salary, as that would have helped in reviving the national spirit and help in reviving the system. He recalled that the first lady Remi Tinubu recently stated that their family was rich and had enough. As such, there would not be any need for her to have such an increase in salary.
