Peter Obi, the former Anambra State governor and Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate in the February 25 general elections, has castigated the recent approval of a 114% increase in the salaries of sworn-in politicians, including lawmakers, judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.
According to Obi, with the situation of things in the country, increasing the salary of officeholders was a very unnecessary move, especially when one realises that more than 130 million Nigerians were living in abject poverty.
Obi, while airing his opinion on Twitter on Thursday morning had argued that one would expect the leaders and public officeholders to channel their focus into reducing the cost of governance and relieving the plight of Nigerians.
Obi additionally remarked that the Nigerian leaders should instead, prioritize the problems of the masses and those on the lower ring of society, over themselves.
His tweet had partly read:
“The sacrifice, at this time in our nation, should be supported by the leaders. The (salary) increment should be reversed right away, and the savings should be devoted to restoring education, healthcare and poverty alleviation particularly in the remote rural areas.”
Peter Obi’s statement is just what any morally, upstanding person would have put out concerning the whole matter of the salary increment.
Considering that several policies that would severely affect the Nigerian masses have been put forward, most of which were effected in less than a month, the announcement of a 114% raise in salaries for the politicians that enacted the laws is a little too disappointing, to say the least.
