The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed proposals by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to raise the salaries of political officeholders, calling the initiative “insensitive, unjust, inequitable” and warning it could deepen existing inequalities.
The RMAFC’s chairman, Mohammed Shehu, previously disclosed that President Tinubu earns ₦1.5 million per month while ministers receive less than ₦1 million, figures that have reportedly remained unchanged since 2008.
NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized the hike, calling it a threat to civil servants living on a ₦70,000 minimum wage amid salary freezes in many public subsectors. He urged the commission to halt the exercise before it triggers public backlash.
In a pointed statement, Ajaero demanded full transparency, requesting that the current earnings and benchmarks for the proposed pay review be made public.
He also condemned remarks by the RMAFC chairman as “puerile,” highlighting the broad perks already enjoyed by political officeholders—a reality he said stands in stark contrast to the hardship faced by many ordinary Nigerians.
Referring to past trends, Ajaero noted that while civil servants saw salary increases of up to 50%, political officeholders have enjoyed increases exceeding 800% in some cases. He warned that the uniform pay structure across regions only exacerbates inequality.
