Abuja: The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticised the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its proposed salary increase for political office holders, describing the move as unjust and tone-deaf amid widespread economic hardship.
Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President, said this in a statement made available to reporters on Sunday in Abuja.
Ajaero described the move as” insensitive, unjust, inequitable and will only succeed in deepening the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders.
” It will equally deepen poverty among the generality of Nigerians, majority of whom have not only been adjudged to be multi-dimensionally poor, but also live miserably poor,” he said.
He, however, described the justification by the commission as weak.
Ajaero said that the justification overlooks the significant benefits and advantages that political office holders already enjoy.
The NLC president said that this was 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 and operation of N70,000 minimum wage.
“This is because there are no resources to pay higher despite the rising tariffs and economic hardship,” he said.
Ajaero recalled previous wage reviews, civil servants received less than 50 per cent, while political office holders saw increases exceeding 800 per cent.
According to him, we equally note with dismay that. In contrast, 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 earns the same salary as a councillor in Rivers.
“While we recognise the need for good remuneration packages, they should be across the board and equitable and not done based on discrimination,” he said.
According to him, that runs contrary to the letter and spirit of our constitution
He, therefore, demanded that the current earnings of all political office holders should be made public.
The president said that the benchmark for the proposed review should also be made public.
He called on RMAFC to put on hold the exercise before it triggers a tsunami in the country.