President Bola Tinubu has not approved any increase of salary for political office holders and judicial officers, the Presidency has reacted.
The media have been agog with reports that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is proposing a 114% review of salaries for political holders.
According to the commission, 2008 was the last time it reviewed salaries of public office holders.
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A statement by Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications & Strategy said the President has not granted such an approval and that no such proposal has been brought to him for consideration.
Read the press statement below
“We have followed with consternation the viral story of the purported 114% increase in the salary of the President, Vice President, elected Federal and State political office holders and judicial officers.
We state without any equivocation that President Bola Tinubu has not approved any salary increase, and no such proposal has been brought before him for consideration.
While we recognise that it is within the constitutional remit of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and Judicial Officers, such cannot come to effect until it has equally been considered and approved by the President.
It is important to note that RMAFC, through its Public Relations Manager, has responded to this fake story being circulated and has already set the record straight.
However, that this unfounded story gained prominence on social media and in a section of mainstream media, again, brings to the fore the danger fake news poses to the society and our national well-being.
The misinformation was, obviously, contrived to create ill-will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians as a result of its fast paced, dynamic and progressive policies.
It is important to reiterate to journalists, media managers, and members of the public that stories on government activities and policy issues that do not emanate from approved official communication channels should be ignored.
Media practitioners are enjoined to, at all times, cross-check their stories to ensure accurate reportage, which is the hallmark of responsible journalism.
Dele Alake
Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communications & Strategy “
Salaries for National Assemblymen not outrageous- RMAF boss
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Shehu Muhammed, says the salaries of members of the National Assembly are outrageous.
Stating this in an interview with Arise TV, Mohammed said the commission has received after its proposal for a 114% increase in the salaries of President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Assembly members, governors and others.
His words, ‘‘I do not think the National Assembly and Senators earn an outrageous amount of money. I have said this publicly.
‘‘The Salary of a Senator or member of House of Reps is about a N1m, basic salary and allowances. However, there is what they call operating funds for running the office. If you an elected Senator representing Lagos West, for instance, have a constituency office, you have to hire people to man that office.
‘‘You have to have equipment; computers and others and it depends on the size of the constituency. In other societies, that has nothing to do with a senator. There is already a structure whereby the system takes care of all those things and provides them. It is still cost of governance. But here, from what I understand the National Assembly did, they monetized this and they give the Senator that amount of money,” Mohammed reacted to the backlash.
The Commission which is saddled with the responsibility of determining the numeration of public office holders, says the last time the basic salaries of political holders was reviewed upwardly was 15 years ago.
Before the end of the Buhari administration, the commission had sent a bill to the President for the salary increase.
The news of the proposed increment filtered in on Wednesday, June 21 with many Nigerians kicking against it. The commission in its defense said the salaries had not been increased but was only proposed to President Tinubu for approval.
Nigerians are of the opinion that such a proposal should not come up when many are still dealing with the economic hardship as a result of the removal of the fuel subsidy.
