NLC slams RMAFC over planned pay rise for politicians, calls move “insensitive, inequitable”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed the proposed salary increase for political office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), describing the move as “insensitive, unjust, and inequitable.”

In a statement issued on Sunday, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, warned that the proposed review would worsen poverty levels, widen income inequality, and further alienate public officials from the suffering majority of Nigerians.

“We are outraged by the decision of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to embark on a comprehensive upward review of the remuneration packages of political office holders across the country,” Ajaero said.

“The move is insensitive, unjust, inequitable and will only succeed in deepening the growing inequality between civil servants and political office holders. It will equally deepen poverty among the generality of Nigerians, majority of whom have not only been adjudged to be multi-dimensionally poor, but live miserably poor,” he added.

Ajaero also dismissed the justification offered by RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Usman, describing it as “largely puerile” and a deliberate disregard for the extensive perks and allowances already available to political office holders.

According to the NLC, while civil servants have endured stagnant wages and live on a N70,000 minimum wage, politicians have repeatedly benefited from disproportionate salary reviews — with increases of over 800% in the past, compared to only about 50% for workers.

The union also criticised the uniform structure of political salaries across the federation, which ignores regional economic disparities, unlike the civil service.

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Calling for transparency, Ajaero demanded that RMAFC make public the current earnings of political office holders as well as the benchmarks for the proposed adjustments. He warned that pushing ahead with the exercise could provoke a “tsunami of anger” across the nation.

“The current earnings of all political office holders should be made public; the benchmark for the proposed review should equally be made public; RMAFC should put on hold this exercise before it triggers a tsunami,” he said.

The Labour leader urged the federal government to adopt a fair and transparent remuneration framework that upholds constitutional principles and ensures that public service reflects sacrifice, not personal enrichment.

The planned review comes on the heels of last year’s upward adjustment of judicial officers’ salaries, which was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the passage of the Judicial Office Holders’ Salaries and Allowances Bill, 2024. RMAFC’s Chairman of the Remuneration and Monetisation Committee, Hon. Mohammed Kabeer Usman, has argued that the latest review for political office holders is central to strengthening governance and ensuring stability.

But the NLC has insisted the timing is inappropriate, warning that Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship makes any such move unjustifiable.