• Why reward greed while Nigerians starve? Obi queries
• Pay rise for politicians insensitive, plot to set Tinubu up, says Lawal

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has commenced a review of the remuneration packages for political, public and judicial office holders across the country.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit of the RMAFC, Maryam Yusuf.

Chairman of the Remuneration and Monetisation Committee, RMAFC, Mohammed Usman, disclosed this at a retreat organised by the commission in Kano.

Usman said that the importance of the review was for the growth of Nigeria’s governance structure.

“The effort is also a significant move towards the implementation of one of the commission’s core mandates,” he said.

Besides, the RMAFC chairman had disclosed that President Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million, the figures he described as outdated since they have remained unchanged since 2008.

Usman, who stated that the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers the commission to determine appropriate remuneration for political, public and judicial office holders at all levels, said that the Commission had earlier taken some steps toward the review of the remuneration package to reflect prevailing economic realities.

He said that the review process was not only about figures but also about sustainability and affordability.

MEANWHILE, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has described the move by the RMAFC increase the remuneration packages of political leader as “a shameless grab for more at the expense of Nigeria’s struggling majority,” warning that the proposal reflects the widening gulf between the leaders and the people they govern.

Also, the LP has taken a swipe at the RMAFC over its proposal to increase the salaries of political leaders, warning that such a move would amount to mocking Nigerians already weighed down by economic hardship.

In a statement signed by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, the LP described the move as

“an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians,” insisting that the quoted figures for the President and ministers’ pay are misleading.

RELATEDLY, Founder of Follow the Money, Hamzat Lawal, has urged political office holders agitating for higher salaries to resign from public service and seek employment in the private sector, insisting that the country cannot afford a pay rise at this time.

Lawal spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, yesterday, while reacting to the plan by RMAFC to review the salaries of political office holders.

He faulted the move, describing it as misplaced and an attempt to please the President.

Lawal further said that the review was insensitive and politically risky for the President.

He said: “I think this is even a setup for the President. Why would you want to make a decision that would make the leadership of the country so unpopular? Tinubu said that we must tighten our belts; this is the time for sacrifice. So, why is it that the political office holders don’t want to also sacrifice? Why is it that it is the citizens who should carry this burden alone?”