Hungry masses: Nigerians reject pay rise for Tinubu, Shettima, Akpabio, others
The Nigerian Government is considering an upward review of salaries for political office holders, following concerns that their current earnings are inadequate and outdated.
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Shehu, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
Shehu noted that President Bola Tinubu presently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than N1 million — figures that have remained unchanged since 2008.
You are paying the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria N1.5 million a month, with a population of over 200 million people. Everybody believes that it is a joke,” he said.
He further argued that the disparity between political office holders and heads of federal agencies was unjustifiable, pointing out that some agency chiefs earn up to twenty times more than ministers or even the Attorney-General of the Federation.
However, the move has stirred fresh controversy in a country where workers are still demanding a living wage, with millions of Nigerians struggling under inflation and rising poverty.
Observers believe the development has reopened debate about leadership, public trust, and the true cost of governance in Africa’s largest democracy.
SOCIETY WATCH reports that although the minimum wage in Nigeria is currently pegged at N70,000 per month, as approved by the federal government and some state governments, not all states have implemented it, especially for local government workers and primary school teachers.
Recall that in 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that over 133 million Nigerians live in poverty — representing 63 per cent of the nation’s population.
