"N1.5m for President is Poor": FG Declares, to Begin Review of Salaries of Govs, Ministers, Others
- The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announced plans to review the salaries of political office holders
- RMAFC chairman Mohammed Shehu disclosed that President Tinubu earns N1.5 million monthly while ministers earn less than N1 million, a figure unchanged since 2008
- The labour unions criticised the plan, citing hidden allowances and rising inequality
FCT, Abuja - The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has announced plans to review the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria.
The federal government described its current earnings as inadequate, outdated, and unrealistic in the face of growing responsibilities and economic challenges.
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At a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, August 18, RMAFC chairman Mohammed Shehu revealed that President Bola Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2008, Punch reported.
“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 it is a joke,” Shehu said.
He added,
“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 ten times more than you pay the President. That is just not right."
Review of salaries: Labour unions push back
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) criticised the plan to increase salaries for political office holders, arguing that it ignores worsening inequality and the hidden allowances that already inflate earnings in government, as reported Punch.
“The President’s salary may be about N1.5 million a month, but when allowances are added, the total package can exceed N100 million,” an NLC official said.
RMAFC clarifies its mandate
Shehu stressed that the commission is not responsible for setting the minimum wage for civil servants or public sector workers, Vanguard reported.
"Its constitutional mandate is strictly limited to determining the salaries of political, judicial, and legislative office holders.
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“We are strictly restricted to political office holders, governors, senators, legislators, ministers, DGs, and other people,” he said.
Despite public hostility towards pay increases for politicians, Shehu maintained that remuneration must reflect the responsibilities of office.
“It’s 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,” he said.
Review of revenue-sharing formula
Shehu also announced that the RMAFC had begun a review of Nigeria’s vertical revenue-sharing formula, which has been in place since 1992.
The current arrangement allocates 52.68 per cent to the federal government, 26.72 per cent to states, and 20.60 per cent to local governments, with a further 4.18 per cent reserved for special funds.
“In line with this constitutional responsibility and in response to the evolving socio-economic, political and fiscal realities of our nation, the Commission has resolved to initiate the process of reviewing the revenue allocation formula to reflect emerging socio-economic realities,” Shehu told reporters.
Tinubu bans creation of new institutions
Legit.ng earlier reported that the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has announced the suspension of the establishment of new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Tunji Alausa, the minister of Education, made the announcement following the FEC meeting presided over by the president at the presidential villa in Abuja.
Alausa said that the initiative was aimed at putting an end to duplications and waste, which would provide the avenue to consolidate resources in upgrading the existing facilities.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
