Founder of Follow The Money, Hamzat Lawal, has condemned the proposed salary review for political office holders in Nigeria, describing the move as “insensitive” and a deliberate attempt to make President Bola Tinubu unpopular.
Lawal was reacting to the plan by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the salaries of the President, Vice President, ministers, governors, and other public officials.
Speaking on the development, he argued that such a decision was ill-timed, given the current economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
“I understand that over 33 years, we have not really reviewed some of these allocations and the salary of the President, but this is not the time to do that; the country cannot afford it,” Lawal said.
He stressed that political office holders who feel underpaid should quit public office and explore opportunities in the private sector.
“If our politicians and political office holders think that they are not paid what they are due, they should resign and go and find a job that will pay them, or they can create their own companies and allocate salaries to themselves. Let them not put more burden than Nigerians are carrying,” he added.
“A Setup for the President”
Lawal further described the proposed salary review as a plot to set up President Tinubu, warning that it could make him unpopular with the citizens.
“I think this is even a setup for Mr. President, because why would you want to make a decision that would make the leadership of the country so unpopular?
I want to quote Mr. President. He said that we must tighten our belts; this is the time for sacrifice. So, why is it that the political office holders don’t want to also sacrifice? Why is it that it is the citizens who should carry this burden?”
He accused the commission of misplaced priorities, noting that instead of focusing on governance and accountability, it was fixated on increasing salaries.
“One of the roles of this commission is to ensure that we utilise money prudently and advise government on how to ensure that we get value for money and the impact of investing in infrastructure, not only the Federal Government but also the state government. So, I think that they just have misplaced priorities.”
Allowances vs. Salaries
Lawal argued that the conversation should go beyond salaries to include allowances, estacode for foreign trips, and other benefits political office holders enjoy.
“The commission just focused on their salaries. Let’s talk about their allowances, let’s talk about their estacode when they travel for foreign trips. Some of them even ride in armoured cars. So, I think it’s insensitive and political suicide if, for any reason, Mr. President — after this commission puts together their report and all the consultation they hope to do — passes this into law.”
Focus on Local Government Autonomy
Lawal recommended that instead of raising salaries for top officials, resources should be directed towards empowering the local government system through full autonomy.
He also suggested that the salaries of top political office holders be slashed to enable the government to improve the welfare of lower-income public servants.
Background
The Chairman of RMAFC, Mohammed Shehu, recently disclosed that President Tinubu earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than ₦1 million — salaries that have remained unchanged since 2008.
Shehu argued that the figures were outdated, inadequate, and unrealistic, given the growing responsibilities of political leaders.
However, with Nigeria grappling with inflation, high unemployment, and widespread poverty, Lawal and other critics believe that increasing political salaries would be insensitive and a betrayal of citizens already enduring economic hardship.
