The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has said that it will review President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s, Vice President Kasim Shettima’s, governors, judicial officers, and other political office holders financial take home by 114 percent.
The commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Muhammadu Shehu, who was represented by the commission’s top official from Kebbi State, Mrs Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, made the announcement in Birnin Kebbi during the presentation of the reviewed remuneration package of political and judicial office holders to the state Governor, Dr Nasir Idris.
The president, his vice, lawmakers, judges and the 36 state governors are the major office holders to benefit from the proposed salaries, Daily Post reports.
The proposed salary review is in line with the provisions of Paragraph 32(d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Government (as amended), according to the commission.
He said: “It empowers the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of the Constitution of the federal government.”
Sixteen years after the last review, it is imperative that the Remuneration Packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) should be reviewed,” he added.
Meanwhile, the plan to review the salaries of top politicians in the country has been generating reactions.
Leading the charge, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, vowed to sue President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the contentious proposed pay rise for top government officials.
In a tweet on its Twitter account, SERAP called the salary increases “outrageous,” noting that over 133 million Nigerians now live in abject poverty.
The tweet reads, “We’re suing the Tinubu administration over its outrageous and illegal 114 per cent increase in the salaries of the President, vice president, state governors and lawmakers, while over 133 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty”.