By Dan Onwukwe
The pay and perks of political office holders in the country are back on the spotlight. This time, more damning and sickening. It’s raising dark clouds as ever. Right now, the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, is behind the astonishing, wicked and mindless proposal. Behind the veil, lies a tangle web of conspiracy.
It amounts to high level of insensitivity to the current economic crunch and the harrowing plight of poor Nigerians who are already pushed against the wall due to previous government’s flip-flop policies. If the pay raise proposed by RMAFC is not a conspiracy of sort between it and the rampaging political elite, nothing comes closer to the harsh truth.
Take, for instance, in 2020, when the
financial health of the country was better than it’s now, RMAFC had recommended
a downward review of salaries and allowances of political office holders and
their aides, including that of the President, vice President, state governors
and lawmakers. What has changed now? Is the economy better now than three years
ago? Is the life and livelihoods of Nigerians better now than three years ago?
Although the presidency has denied that
the proposed increment in the emoluments of political office holders did not
get presidential approval, don’t be deceived, the presidency is just testing
the waters to feel public reaction. And the public reaction is unambiguously
clear: this pay raise cannot stand. Let’s unpack the package as proposed by the
commission. RMAFC has recommended a hefty pay rise of 114 percent in the basic
salaries for political and judicial officials in the country.
If the proposal is approved, this is what it
entails: the review will increase the president’s monthly emolument from N3.515
million to N8 million. That of the vice President, governors and
lawmakers will increase astronomically. According to reports, 20 of the
president’s Special Advisers will gulp about N1.126 BN in four
years. Currently, a federal
lawmakers reportedly earns over N2 million
monthly, excluding allowances. If the proposed review is approved, a federal
lawmakers may have a monthly running costs in excess of N15 million, according
to those familiar with the salaries and allowances of our lawmakers at the
National Assembly.
This will take the cost of
governance in Nigeria to unprecedented height. This is a situation that the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) foresaw way back in 2015, and advised the
federal government to stop, describing the cost of governance in Nigeria as
“financial recklessness”. The Buhari government ignored the advice, and has put
the country in a big financial hole with unparalleled debt burden of N82 trn,
the highest in the nation’s history.
Let’s be clear on the issue
of emoluments of political office holders and judicial officers. Section
84(1-3) gives RMAFC the mandate to determine the remuneration,
salaries and allowances to be paid to political and judicial officials as may
be prescribed by the National Assembly. Section 84 (2) says such renumeration,
salaries and allowances “shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund
of the Federation”. The commission also claimed that it arrived at its decision
based on the provision of paragraph 32(d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of
the 1999 Constitution( as amended).
The dust in
the present proposal by RMAFC was raised by the commission’s Chairman Muhammadu
Shehu, represented by Hajia Rakiya Tanko Ayuba, last Tuesday during
the presentation of of the review of remuneration package for political and the
judicial officers. The commission said its recommendation was in “line with
rules of equity and fairness, risk and responsibility, national order of
precedence”, among other considerations. The commission further said that it
considered the “consumer price index of some selected basket of commodities
that have collectively grown by an average of 371 percent from 2008 to 2022”.
This is one law for some, another one for others, a different
market for political leaders and another one for the rest of Nigerians. Where
is the equity and fairness that RMAFC is talking about? Is that why the federal
and state governments and the National Assembly have not seen any ‘equity and
fairness’ to increase the workers’ minimum wage for workers? Even
though the organised Labour in the country seems almost dead now, but whatever
breath that is still left in it, the proposed increment in the emoluments of
political office holders should serve as a template for its ongoing negotiation
with government on a new minimum wage after the removal of fuel subsidy by
President Bola Tinubu, last month.
The Federal Government says
it has made an offer to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on income with
an estimated spending pegged at N702million. The harsh truth is that the
emolument of public officials in Nigeria ranks among the highest in the world,
and the highest in Africa. Yet, Nigeria is home to 133 million
‘multidimensionally poor people ‘, according to data from the National
Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Any keen observer of our politics, will have noticed that our
politicians are the greatest enemies of the people they claim to serve. That is
why, today, the citizens find it difficult to trust politicians. They also have
come to believe that the legal and political systems favour only the wealthy
and powerful. The complexity of ambition, and the role that the greater good
can play in the making of a good leader is fast disappearing.
Don’t be deceived by the initial ‘gra gra’ of
‘Baba too fast’, the accolades which Tinubu’s is currently tagged.
He’s taking his time until the conclusion of the petitions against his election
before his real persona unfolds. Mark my words, Nigeria is at a
critical juncture now. It’s ‘my way- or the highway’. That’s how some leaders
begin. Our political history, especially in this dispensation, does not give
any crumbs for comfort. As far as the RMAFC proposal is concerned, the
lawmakers will have their way, and the presidency may pretend it’s on the side
of the people. It’s all political deceit. For example, in 2020, didn’t the NASS
have its way when it budgeted a hefty N37bn for renovation despite public
outcry during the pandemic? In the same year, didn’t the presidency spend
N3.3bn on travel alone, and a princely N150bn on entertainment?
What happened to the Presidential Committee
that was set up in 2020 to review the salaries and allowances of political
office holders? Available data shows that between 2014 and 2018, the 36 state
governments budgeted N14trn for salaries, allowances and overheads of political
office holders and their aides. Last week, I argued in this column that the
Tinubu presidency should be careful not to lose the trust of those who voted
for him. I cautioned that a catastrophic implosion might be in the offing after
the removal of fuel subsidy. I advised that the administration should seek
solution providers in addressing the challenges facing the country, or we may
be up with the ‘Rehoboam treatment’.
Recall how Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son
ill-advisedly adopted harsh economic policies that divided Israel down the
middle, into different kingdoms. The Bible says Rehoboam took the
advice of the ‘elders’, that was in conflict with the wishes of the
people. His infamous quote: “My father made your yoke heavy, I will make it
heavier. My father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with
scorpions”(1Kings 12:14). I don’t want to believe this government wants to
unleash more hardships than the ordinary Nigerians have already. But it
appears that’s the easy road the government may be headed.
The imminent 40 percent
increase in electricity tariff, effective, July 1, could just be the horse
whips and scorpions put together. ‘Suffer today, enjoy tomorrow’, is a metaphor
that has lost its logic and reason, either now or in the near future.
Governance is a human enterprise, and the welfare and security of the people
should take precedence over everything else. We heard the promise of the First
Lady, Remi Tinubu, on the altar of Aso Rock Chapel few weeks
ago. She said, ‘I promise you on this altar that my family does not need
Nigeria’s wealth to survive. Nigeria’s wealth is the commonwealth of all’.
Nigerians are groaning. The suffering is too much. They are watching. The
President should strike the right balance. He should look beyond the present,
transient cheering and clapping.
*Onwukwe is a commentator on public issues
Succinctly put!
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