Proposed pay rise for political officeholders insensitive, ADC tells RMAFC

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC
national publicity secretary, said the suggestion is “tone-deaf” and “an
affront to the Nigerian people”.

The party was reacting to the proposed salary review by the
Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which would see
the president, vice-president, governors, and other top government officials
receive substantial pay raise.

Abdullahi said the plan is ill-timed given that Nigerians
are currently battling inflation, soaring fuel prices, and a minimum wage that
remains largely unpaid in many states.

“We are aware of the commission’s constitutional mandate to
periodically review relevant emoluments of political office holders in the
country,” the statement reads.

“However, proposing such review at a time when millions of
Nigerians are struggling with soaring food inflation, high cost of fuel,
inadequate and largely unpaid minimum wage would indicate a total disregard for
the people.”

Abdullahi said the ADC is concerned that the justification
given by RMAFC — which described the current remuneration package for political
officeholders as “inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated” — ignores the reality
that politicians enjoy other perks of office that significantly inflate their
actual earnings.

“These salaries are already supplemented with sundry bogus
and opaque allowances, perks, and other discretionary funds, which together far
exceed what ordinary Nigerians earn,” he said.

“How else are the political office holders able to support
their lifestyle of luxury and opulence if indeed these ‘outdated’ salaries mean
anything to them?”

Abdullahi said the minimum wage of N70,000 is barely enough
to sustain a family, adding that many Nigerians do not receive allowances or
other benefits to cushion rising costs.

“This proposed plan to increase the salaries of public
office holders is not only tone-deaf, it is an all-out affront to the Nigerian
people,” he said.

“It signals that the government is clearly disconnected from
the struggles of ordinary citizens.”

The party asked the government to focus on improving the
lives of the masses instead.

“Government has no moral right to demand sacrifice from
ordinary citizens while they focus on making lives easier for themselves,” the
statement added.

“Political office holders cannot be insulated from economic
hardships, while the everyday Nigerian suffers.”

The ADC added that public resources should rather go into
raising the minimum wage to a living standard, paying civil servants on time,
and supporting vulnerable Nigerians through targeted social welfare programmes.