Nigeria goment say President Bola Tinubu neva approve di proposed salary increase wey di Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission approve for politicians and judicial officers.
Di president make di clarification as tori dey spread say di commission popose increase for di salary of politicians.
Dele Alake, tok-tok pesin for di president for statement say e release on Thursday RMAFC don do dia work according to di Law.
“While we recognise say e dey within di constitutional remit of di Commission to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and Judicial Officers, e no go fit happun now until di President don consider and approve am,” Oga Alake tok.
Infact, e describe di tori as “fake news” – say make tori pipo ignore any news wey no come from official goment channels.
RMAFC proposal generate reaction
Di tori about di proposed review of di basic salaries of politicians and judicial office holders by di Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) dey cause reactions.
Di tori begin trend afta local media on Tuesday report di news from di RMAFC commissioner from Kebbi State, Mrs Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba presentation about di review.
Di Federal Commissioner for di Commission Hassan Usman, confam di tori for interview with Arise TV say “dem neva review salaries of public office holders and judicial officers for di past 15 years, but goment don review salaries of civil servants two times within di 15 years.”
Na proposal stage di review still dey as di National Assembly go need chook eyes for approval.
“National Assembly neva go through di document, na president go send di proposal to Assembly bifor dem do dia work and return for am to sign bifor e become law.” One official tok.
Di proposed review dey make Nigerians wey think say di move no dey okay at di time wey dem dey face high cost of living para.
Candidate of di Labour party for di 2023 presidential election Peter Obi say di proposal no make sense.
‘Former president Buhari bin give go ahead’
Earlier tok-tok pesin for di Commission Christian Nwachukwu tell BBC say “na our commission constitution give power to check di salary of president, govnors, National Assembly members and judges.”
E add say na former president, Muhammadu Buhari give dem di go ahead to review di salaries of politicians.
“Bifor President Buhari leave office e give us report wey im attorney general and lawyers say make we check dis salary mata and revert.”
“Afta dat di Federal Executive council also say make we check dia salary.”
Meanwhile for di interview wey di Federal Commissioner do, im explain say dem no just arrive at di 114 percent.
Im say dem waka go all di geopolitical zones for di kontri, dem do consultations wit stakeholders and evribody including Nigeria Labour unions.
How dem calculate di 114 percent
Oga Nwachukwu for di interview give breakdown of how dem reach conclusion on di proposal.
“Make una no look di 114 percent figure, President annual salary na 7.6 million naira now.
“Even though for di eyes of di public di 114 percent dey on di high side, we go also tell you say we make consultations wit di public,” e tok.
E add say “We get video recordings of wetin happun for di geopolitical zones wia pipo come, we even get representatives from Labour and evribody. We aggregate.
“Public opinion fit dey different from wetin una and we get, but di consumer price dey affect evribody.
“We do am on di premise of consumer price index from 2008 to 2022, wey don increase too much by 371 percent but we no review dis salaries by 371 percent.
“Di two factors wey we use na di public hearing and di consumer price index. We combine and aggregate dem wey make am run up to 200 percent.”
Di Federal commissioner Usman add say dem review am to 114 percent based on di economic situation of di kontri.
“If we go increase di salaries of public officers now, make e dey genuine and realistic and make e dey meaningful.
Im add say “Bifor, Nigerian president dey receive N1.3m evri month but wit dis proposal e go reach N2m but we neva reach dat stage for now.”
“Wetin we check na how di kontri dey at di moment and alot of oda factors.”
“So for now nothing official regarding dis as more work dey needed. President need to gree and also send am to di assembly for dem to do work on am.”
Labour union no gree
Organised Labour for Nigeria dey para for di proposed salaries review wey di RMAFC wan do for politicians and judicial officers.
Tok-tok pesin for di Nigeria Labour Congress, Benson Upah for interview wit BBC Pidgin say di proposal no make sense at all and na big cheating for civil servants.
“Di last time wey goment increase workers salary na wit 25 percent, but di last time wey dem increase politicians salary na wit 800 percent and all of us dey go di same market.
“Anoda tin wey dem do dat time for politicians be say di amount wey dem dey earn dey di same across but for civil servants no be so,” Upah add.
E claim say some of dis politicians wey dey collect big big salary no get more dan Secondary School Certificate, but for civil servants” many hurdles and torture dey – to pass plus exams to write bifor you move up.
“If you look di chart of salary payment across di kontri, I no sure say Director for Anambra State dey earn reach N150,000 Nigerian naira.
“For example if you be Councillor for Rivers State wey get money well-well na di same money wey you dey collect na im dem go pay di councillor for Yobe state, but for civil servants dem no do am like dat.
“So dem do statutory safeguard for politicians in terms of wages, whereas for civil servants na discrimination.”
”Dis advantages wey dem dey create for di political class no dey necessary and dem dey unfair.” E tok.
Economist explain how e go affect di economy
Dr Odilim Enwegbara wey be Economist chook mouth for di mata.
Im tell BBC Pidgin say if RMAFC wan increase di salary of politicians and Judicial Officers by 114 percent no be problem, but make dem no touch di money and National treasure wey belong to Nigerians.
“My own be say make dem go chook hand inside di public purse of Nigerians, make dem no divert our public funds into dis tin.
“Di so called 114 percent no be di problem, di problem na di illegitimate access wey dem (politicians) get to di public funds, public vault,” e tok.
E add say “dis show di wickedness of Nigerian leaders sake of say some of di masses neva collect dia salary for two to three months, yet dem wan increase politicians salary wetin dem wan carry di money do?
“Some politicians for America and Europe no dey collect salary, dem dey use am do ‘pro bono’ community service to help pipo, but Nigerian politicians dey enta seat with vengeance and wickedness.”
Im further explain how e go affect di economy for Nigeria. E say inflation na reality and if dis tin happun pipo wey dey work for oda offices go begin ask for 114 percent increment too.
Dr Enwegbara say e go put goment under pressure to go borrow money – “di Central Bank of Nigeria no get anoda source of money.”
Source : BBC
