Ajadi kicks against proposed salary increase for political office holders

A South West chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has rejected the reported plan by the Federal Government to increase the salaries of political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Ministers and others.

He described the move as insensitive to the suffering of Nigerians already grappling with the harsh economic climate.

Ajadi, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said many Nigerians are enduring unprecedented hardship, and what is expected of political leaders is sacrifice rather than self-enrichment.

His reaction follows an earlier disclosure by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which hinted at a possible review of salaries for political office holders. The Commission argued that current earnings were “inadequate, unrealistic, and outdated” considering the responsibilities and economic challenges facing the nation.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, revealed that President Bola Tinubu currently earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than ₦1 million—a figure unchanged since 2008.

According to Shehu:

“You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5m a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that it is a joke.

You cannot pay a minister less than N1m per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a CBN governor or the DG ten times more than you pay the President. That is just not right. Or you pay him [the head of an agency] twenty times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is absolutely not right.”

However, Ajadi countered that the timing of such a proposal is unjustifiable, given the severe economic strain on ordinary citizens.

“The proposed increase in salaries of the President, Vice and other political office holders at this time of economic hardship will amount to insensitivity to the plights of ordinary Nigerians.

“The current Workers’ minimum wages is not enough to provide the means of livelihood for any worker. The inflation is biting harder on Nigerians. Contrary to the poor conditions of Nigerians, political office holders are flashing their riches, and displaying their wealth openly with utter disregard to the conditions of ordinary citizens. To now increase the salaries of these political office holders will not augur well for our country.”

Ajadi argued that in times of crisis, true leaders make sacrifices. He cited global examples where governments cut salaries of political leaders during economic downturns.

“In countries where the economy is bad, what obtained is for the political office holders to reduce their earnings as a sacrifice. It is with this that they will have the moral right to preach to ordinary citizens to make sacrifice.

“In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her cabinet reduced their pay by 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the 2008 financial crisis, Ireland slashed ministerial and parliamentary salaries by as much as 30%.

“In the midst of Greece’s sovereign debt crisis, ministers and the Members of Parliament took salaries cuts in solidarity with citizens.

“True leaders tight their belts first before asking citizens to bear the burden of reform. For Nigeria’s political class to even consider “jumbo salaries” at a time of rising inflation, subsidy removal, unemployment and worsening poverty is unconscionable.

“RMAFC must immediately drop this self-serving scheme. What the nation requires today is fiscal discipline, leadership by sacrifice, not political overlords fattening themselves while citizens starve.”