The plan by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to embark on an upward review of the salaries of political office holders is both unrealistic and ill-timed. Despite RMAFC’s fine argument, political office holders already take home more than their fair share of state resources, in padded allowances and undisclosed perks, and at the expense of the rest of Nigerians.
To press a case for an upward review at a time when 133 million Nigerians are poor and hungry is most insensitive and unjust. The Commission can do better to address the huge disparity between the few wealthy and the many impoverished in the country, and should advocate for full disclosure of total pay packages for political office holders, as well as explore ways to boost revenues.
Making the case for the review, Chairman of RMAFC, Mohammed Shehu, claimed that what the present political office holders earn is a joke. He said: “You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5 million a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that is a joke. You cannot pay a minister less than N1 million per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a CBN Governor or the DG 10 times more than you pay the President. That is not right. It is about time that people like you and others should support the Commission to come up with reasonable living salaries for ministers, DGs and the President.”
As well-meaning as the RMAFC advocacy appears, it is delusional for anyone to hold that politicians in government actually depend on their salaries alone. It is public knowledge that Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) are exposed to other sources of undisclosed earnings. Recently, a minister of this government was alleged to have quietly acquired a $2 million mansion in Florida, United States. The property located at Winter Springs, Florida, was reported to be purchased in March 2025 and registered in the names of the minister’s children and the minister’s wife. Perhaps the RMAFC is not aware that PEPs lead the pack of suspects who launder state resources in properties and other unreported foreign assets.
The Commission should, in addition to its constitutional mandate, seek to partner with other state bodies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to have a better understanding of the new realities of financial crimes.
There is a need for an audit process to properly align politicians’ salaries with yearly budgetary provisions for their upkeep. Politicians in government (particularly the president and governors) are fed, clothed and housed by public funds contributed by taxpayers. At the end of the day, they may not have the need to touch their salaries for years, except for very extravagant ventures. Other cadres, like lawmakers, live on generous allowances, including constituency, housekeeping, wardrobe, furniture, newspaper, travels allowances, etc. The President and governors are custodians of huge allowances in the name of security votes that are not oversighted by RMAFC.
In the circumstances, the proposal that lawmakers, ministers and other political appointees be engaged part-time to reduce the cost of governance and to free resources urgently needed for vital segments such as education, health and infrastructure is worth exploring. According to Budget Office data, the country has spent on average just 21 per cent of total budgets in the last 10 years on capital expenditure. In contrast, recurrent expenditure takes as high as 115 per cent on average.
The reason there are unmotorable roads, lack of electricity in university teaching hospitals, multi-dimensional poverty, among other development challenges, is that an infinitesimal segment of the elite class consumes the chunk of revenues, in salaries/wages, running cost, and stolen funds. Undoubtedly, this should bother RMAFC more and should underpin its advocacy for fiscal equity and sustainable growth.
There is no disputing the fact that RMAFC, going by its enabling Act, has the responsibility to determine the remuneration of political office holders, including the president, governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and other officials listed under Sections 84 and 124 of the Constitution. Even if the last adjustment took place in 2008 and there were plans in 2023 to carry out an adjustment, shelved in September of that year, due to “economic challenges”, the RMAFC should be mindful of the current economic realities before singling out political office holders for upward salary review.
Certainly, the economic challenges of 2023 are no less compelling than those Nigerians have in their hands today. Despite increased revenues and robust monthly allocation to states and the Federal Government, the fundamentals of the economy do not support the advocacy for higher salaries, as the increased revenue has not translated to improved welfare for the masses. To pour salary largess to public office holders is to further undermine the majority of Nigerians. Remunerating political office holders is not the country’s immediate problem and shouldn’t be the priority. Political office holders should first deal with the profligacy in government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is worried that a raise in emoluments for politicians will widen the fiscal disparity in the public service, describing it as insensitive, unjust and inequitable, a move that would deepen the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders. They are right.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, claiming that the proposal is unlawful and unconstitutional. SERAP, instead, is seeking a downward review of salaries and allowances of the president, vice-president, governors and their deputies, and lawmakers, to reflect the economic realities.
SERAP equally tasks RMAFC to discharge its constitutional mandate to monitor accruals and disbursements and advise the government on how to quadruple revenues, not just sharing. It is important that RMAFC should go the full length in discharging its mandate.
Indeed, the RMAFC is correct that today’s realities demand a re-evaluation of the current fiscal federalism structure to foster economic growth in individual states. States, indeed, must be encouraged to become independent of the central government. That is the way to true federalism, which many forward-looking Nigerians stand for.
