The Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, has rejected the decision of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to embark on a comprehensive upward review of the remuneration packages of political office holders in Nigeria.
President of NLC,Joe,Ajaero,in a statement on Monday,expressed outrage over the proposal and implored the Commission to suspend the exercise immediately.
The move, he said, is insensitive, unjust, inequitable and will only succeed in deepening the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders.
Ajaero also quoted that the planned pay rise for the country’s public office holders will furthrr deepen poverty among the generality of Nigerians majority of whom have not only been adjudged to be multi-dimensionally poor, live miserably poor.
He further punctured the justification of the salary review by the Chairman of RMAFC, Mr Mohammed Usman, warning that: “making public-office a sanctuary for wealth-making (for literally doing nothing) instead of service and sacrifice will raise the stakes/desperation for the quest for public office with its intended and unintended consequences including self-extinction.
“Mohammed Usman’s explanations, largely puerile, insult our collective intelligence as they say nothing of the humongous advantages tied to these offices elegantly couched as perquisites, ways and means while the poor live only on hopes and dreams (Bob Marley).
“This is to aside from other unwritten and unmentionable advantages that set them apart from the other disadvantaged citizenry.
“This exercise is coming at a time of promotion and salary freeze in most public subsectors and the continued imposition/operation of N70,000 minimum wage because there are no resources to pay higher in spite of insane tariff hikes.”
He bemoaned the disparity in the salary review between public office holders and civil servants in Nigeria.
According to him, while civil servants, wage reviews or promotions are dependent on resource availability, political office holders are not subjected to this benchmark.
He added:”We equally note with dismay that whereas states operate different pay structures for civil servants, the pay structures of political office holders are the same across the country. This explains why a Councillor in Yobe State earns same salary as a Councillor in Rivers State.
“While we recognise the need for good remuneration packages, they should be across board and equitable and not done on the basis of discrimination as that runs contrary to the letter and spirit of our constitution. One of the most heinous crimes against humanity is the institution and promotion of apartheid in any human setting, no matter how subtle.”
