By Daniel Onwukwe
The pay and perks of political officeholders in the country are back in 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 heights. 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 the review of remuneration package for political and 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 N702 million. 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 ‘Rohoboam treatment’.
Recall how Rohoboam, King Solomon’s son ill-advisedly adopted harsh economic policies that divided Israel down the middle, into different kingdoms. The Bible says Rohoboam 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.
