Reject Proposed Pay Rise If You Have Shame, Olajengbesi Challenges Senators
Abuja-based lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, says the plan to increase the salaries of the president, governors, federal lawmakers and other political office holders in Nigeria is the height of the government's insensitivity to the plight of the masses.
In a statement on Thursday, the Managing Partner of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, said the ruling class has again shamelessly demonstrated its self-centredness, greed and unfeeling attitude against the Nigerian masses who have continued to groan ceaselessly due to the unprecedented economic hardship that followed the government's removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign language exchange windows.
Olajengbesi said, "Some of the policies of the ruling class remain unthinkable - the latest being the move by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to increase the pay of political office holders.
"The announcement is an affront to the suffering of the Nigerian masses who have endured starvation and intense economic pressure since the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023. It is a disrespect to middle-class Nigerians whose eating formula has changed from three meals per day to 0-1-0.
"It is insulting to the average Nigerian worker who earns N70,000 minimum wage, yet Senators and House of Representatives members who earn jumbo pay monthly are considered for a pay rise.
"It is on record that in 2024, Abia North Senator, Orji Kalu, revealed that he earns N14m monthly for being a federal lawmaker.
"Also in 2024, Kaduna Central Senator in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani, said he earned N13m monthly and that current senators earn N21m monthly.
"Former Reps Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, also disclosed that he received N25m monthly as head of the green chamber.
"Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, also last year, revealed that aside from millions received as monthly salary and allowances, each senator gets over N200m as constituency projects annually. Cross River North Senator, Agom Jarigbe, corroborated Ndume's disclosure, saying some ranking senators received N500 million projects allocated for each of them in the 2024 budget.
"It is utterly unthinkable that the RMAFC would consider increasing the salaries and allowances of this set of political office holders who rake in hundreds of millions and even billions yearly from legitimate and otherwise sources.
"Nigerian political office holders should reject the proposed pay rise if they have any modicum of honour left in them. They have lessons to learn from Liberia's President Joseph Boakai, who slashed his salary by 40% to show leadership and empathy for the people."https://www.thecable.ng/proposed-pay-rise-for-political-officeholders-an-affront-on-suffering-nigerians-says-olajengbesi/
