18 Years After: RMAFC moves to review president, governors, lawmakers’ pay

Nigeria's Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has concluded a review of the remuneration for political office holders, marking the first such update in 18 years. The commission announced that proposed new remuneration and revenue allocation bills will be sent to the National Assembly before the end of the year. Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, stated that the existing salary structure is based on legislation from 2007/2008 and has not been legally reviewed since then, despite attempts in 2013 and 2022 which did not reach the National Assembly under Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

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From 2008 to date, the salaries of not only legislators but also ministers, governors and the President have not been reviewed by law.

Shehu emphasized that the salaries for legislators, ministers, governors, and the President have remained stagnant since 2008. He argued that this prolonged stagnation is unsustainable, particularly given the significant changes in the cost of living since that period. "The Commission is an advocate of fair wages for fair work," Shehu stated, questioning the reasonableness of a minister earning less than N1 million per month, a figure that also applies to Federal Commissioners. He believes that providing adequate remuneration could help reduce the temptation for corruption among public officials.

The commission is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Justice on the new legislation. Shehu indicated that a draft of the new act has been prepared and is being reviewed for conformity with RMAFC's proposals. Once finalized, the package will be presented to the President for transmission to the National Assembly. Shehu expressed that the public often reacts negatively to any proposed salary increases for political office holders, but stressed the necessity of adjusting these salaries to reflect current economic realities and ensure officials can operate effectively.

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The salary of a minister is less than N1 million a month. My commissioners here are Federal Commissioners, and their salaries are also less than N1 million a month.

Shehu argued that it is unreasonable for the salaries of this class of people to remain unchanged from 2008 to the present. He believes that fair compensation is crucial for effective governance and for mitigating corruption risks. The RMAFC's initiative aims to establish a more sustainable and equitable remuneration framework for Nigeria's political leadership.

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I believe that political office holders should be paid something reasonable so that they can operate effectively and reduce the temptation for corruption.