Mixed reactions have continued to trail the proposed increase in salaries of political office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Many Nigerians who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday said the timing was wrong.
According to them, the proposed increment is coming at a time when most Nigerians are going through economic hardship.
They stated that the increase was unnecessary, adding that it was unjustifiable.
The stakeholders advised the government to prioritise the welfare of civil servants through measures such as better salaries and affordable housing, among others.
According to them, these will go a long way in boosting morale, productivity, and effective service delivery.
NAN reports that the commission described the current pay being received by political office holders as “outdated and unrealistic as the political leaders earn less than heads of agencies.
“President Bola Tinubu earns N1.5 million monthly, while the ministers receive less than N1 million, figures that have remained unchanged since 2008,” the commission said.
Dr. Anthony Adeleke, a medical practitioner in the FCT, said the timing of the proposed increment was wrong and came at a time when many Nigerians were experiencing economic hardship.
Adeleke said the grounds by which the commission proposed the pay raise were unjustifiable,“ honestly,this increment is not necessary in any way this period.
“My advice to the government is to prioritise civil servants’ welfare through measures like better salaries, affordable housing, adequate training for retirement and prompt payment of
“These improvements are crucial for increasing morale, productivity, and effective service delivery,’’ he said.
Mrs. Rosemary Bolaji, a lawyer, said that the commission should focus on implementing policies and programs that would have a positive impact on the lives of workers and the public as well.
“I hear that the president, Bola Tinubu, receives a paltry N18 million for his office in an entire year as salary, which amounts to N1.5million per month, while the ministers receive about N1 million per month, which should be about N12 million per annum.
“If truly they receive such an amount, what about teachers, doctors, health workers and other professionals who impact society more?
“These people who impact the lives of individuals more earn N70,000 minimum wage; some states are even struggling to pay their workers’ salaries.
“The increment seems so inconsiderate of the poor masses that are weighed down by the hardship of the country’’ she said.
Bolaji stated that one of the commission’s mandates was to advise the Federal and state governments on fiscal efficiency and economic growth, as well as promote transparency and accountability in public financial management.
She stated that the commission should adhere to its mandates by providing guidance on how to manage finances, rather than increasing political leaders’ salaries, which would cause more harm than good to Nigerians.
“Most of us cannot even afford three square meals in a day any longer, we go to our offices five working days, still our salary is just a peanut,” she said..
Bolaji called on the Federal Government to prioritise the security and welfare of Nigerians, especially the civil servants.
According to her, my take is that the government should put in place more safety nets to address hardship, inflation and poverty.
Mr Williams Osaze, President, Society for the Promotion of People’s Rights, an NGO, described the proposed salary increment as “insensitive and unjustifiable, in view of Nigeria’s current economic situation”.
Osaze said that the political leaders collect travel allowances, constituency development funds, and security votes.
“These people are not complaining, a lot of them have more than 10 to 20 Special Assistants, Personnel Assistants, security escorts or security guards, while the civil servants struggle to feed their children.
“Some of them collect loan to pay their children’s school fees. Such increase will only widen inequality, fuel social vices and provoke public anger if government implements it,” he said.
Prof. Bello Aliyu, a retired economist, stated that the Federal Government should prioritize the welfare of civil servants, noting that the proposed increment without considering their needs was wrong and unfair decision.
According to him, workers are demanding swift action on salary adjustments and improved welfare to address the significant hardship caused by policy changes, such as the removal of fuel subsidies.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the exchange rate have significantly worsened the economic conditions and increased the cost of living, making existing salaries inadequate.
“I believe that if the government increases the workers’ salaries, offers better welfare and pays other necessary allowances, the effort will make a great and positive impact on all citizens.
“The commitment will also reduce the hardship the country is currently facing, and a lot of challenges people are facing will drastically reduce to an extent.
Aliyu, who retired as a director in a government agency, said that some retired civil servants could not boast of having an apartment or even an asset, “that is not fair at all.”
He appealed to the government to prioritise the welfare of the civil servants first before considering the proposed increment.
“Workers are agitating for a fair and transparent salary review that keeps pace with economic realities.
“The complete implementation and reflection of the N70,000 minimum wage in the salaries of all civil servants are supposed to be paid.
“I also understand that there are outstanding arrears for the wage award that was meant to provide additional support to workers, all these should be addressed first,’ he said.
Aliyu called on the government to introduce bills that would benefit the public, as well as encourage more training, as this would improve the lives of workers.
According to him, for instance, the House of Representatives recently introduced a bill that prohibits public and civil servants from patronising private schools and healthcare services, to revive confidence in Nigeria’s public institutions.
He commended the government on the development, adding that public schools and hospitals should be renovated and equipped with the necessary tools and infrastructure.
Aliyu added that the effort would reduce hardship and ease the public from spending money unnecessarily on private schools and private hospitals.
He also advised the government to provide workers with strong working tools, financial support, effective training, and retraining, and ensure that the working environment was conducive to effective service delivery.
Aliyu also urged workers to be committed to fulfilling their public duties, adding that this was vital for an efficient and effective public service.
He stated that effective commitment by civil servants would also promote professionalism, integrity, and accountability, thereby building public trust and achieving societal goals.
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