Falana Slams Proposed Pay Rise for Politicians, Ohanaeze Warns of Public Anger

Falana Slams Proposed Pay Rise for Politicians, Ohanaeze Warns of Public Anger

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has described the proposed salary increase for political office holders as “insensitive” given Nigeria’s current economic hardship, while the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned that the plan could provoke nationwide unrest.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Falana criticised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for allegedly failing to consider the realities of ordinary Nigerians.

Falana/Ohanaeze Warns Against Proposed Pay Rise for Politicians.

“I want to believe that the Commission has not taken cognisance of the living standards in the country, particularly the harrowing experience of ordinary people,” he said.

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“Majority of our people are suffering. Going by the National Bureau of Statistics, we have more than more Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty. It is insensitive for any agency of government, particularly RMAFC, to propose an upward review of public officers’ emoluments.”

In a separate statement issued in Abakaliki, Ohanaeze’s Deputy President-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend the proposal, warning that it would worsen public anger at a time of rising living costs.

Isiguzoro reminded the government of a 2021 Federal High Court ruling that directed RMAFC to review and reduce lawmakers’ salaries in line with economic conditions.

“To ignore this urgent plea is to risk ensnaring the Tinubu administration in the traps laid by adversaries, ultimately provoking the backlash of an angry and oppressed populace,” he said.

The group further argued that RMAFC had no constitutional authority to arbitrarily raise salaries, describing the proposal as “a gross misuse of mandate.”

Isiguzoro cautioned that Nigeria’s fragile economic state could not withstand such provocation. “The citizens of Nigeria are both hungry and angry; the proposed pay rise, amidst soaring inflation, not only constitutes an affront but also serves as a breeding ground for chaos and anarchy,” he warned.

Ohanaeze urged the president to comply with the ruling of Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, which demanded a downward review of lawmakers’ salaries. According to Isiguzoro, doing so would show empathy and solidarity with citizens struggling under tough economic policies.