The Labour Party presidential candidate in the February 25 poll, Peter Obi, has faulted the approval of a 114 percent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers, as well as judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.

Obi said the increment is needless, especially at a time when Nigerians are struggling with tough economic realities.

He said he expects leaders and public officeholders to prioritize lowering the expense of governance and alleviating Nigerians’ hardships. This time calls for novel approaches to lifting the majority of people out of poverty, he said.

Obi said, “this is not the appropriate time for such salary increment if it is at all necessary”, arguing that Nigerians are struggling with many harsh economic realities, and with over 130 million Nigerians living in poverty.”

In a statement through his verified Twitter handle on Thursday, the former governor of Anambra State argued that “one would have expected the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance and alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians”.

Obi wrote, “I learnt with great reservation, the approval of a 114% increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

“This is not the appropriate time for such salary increment if it is at all necessary. We are living in a time when an average Nigerian is struggling with many harsh economic realities, and with over 130 million Nigerians now living in poverty. This is a moment when recent reform measures by the government have increased living costs astronomically.

“One would expect the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance, alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. This moment calls for creative ways of pulling the majority out of poverty.

“In the immortal words of Shakespeare’s Julius Ceaser, ‘What touches us ourself shall be last served.’

“The leaders, therefore, should prioritize what affects the masses and those on the lower strata of society over themselves.

“The sacrifice, at this time in our nation, should be borne by the leaders. The increment should be reversed immediately, and the savings should be devoted to fixing education, healthcare and poverty alleviation especially in the remote rural areas.”