Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the proposed increase in salaries for political office holders, calling it “highly insensitive” given Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis.
Speaking on Channels Television, Falana criticised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for focusing on politicians’ welfare while millions of Nigerians face poverty and hardship. He cited recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that more than 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, questioning why the government would prioritise pay raises for elites.
“At this point, proposing higher wages for political office holders is not only tone-deaf but also unfair to the majority battling severe economic pressure,” he said.
However, RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu defended the proposal, arguing that salaries for the President (₦1.5 million monthly) and ministers (less than ₦1 million) have remained unchanged since 2008, despite increasing workloads compared to heads of federal agencies.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also rejected the plan, insisting politicians already enjoy significant hidden allowances.
Meanwhile, RMAFC announced it is reviewing Nigeria’s revenue-sharing formula, which has been unchanged since 1992, to better reflect current realities and reduce reliance on the federal government.