Falana rejects proposed salary hike for political office holders

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has criticised the proposed upward review of salaries for Nigeria’s political officeholders, describing the move as insensitive to citizens already struggling under inflation and economic hardship.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Falana faulted the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for contemplating salary increases for the President, Vice President, governors, deputies, and lawmakers without addressing the welfare of civil servants and ordinary Nigerians.

He argued that the commission lacked both the moral and legal grounds to proceed with such adjustments, warning that any review must be comprehensive rather than discriminatory.

“If there is to be a salary review at all, it cannot exclude the civil service and other categories of workers who are bearing the brunt of current economic policies,” Falana said. “To do otherwise would widen income disparity and social inequality in the country.”

The Senior Advocate also accused RMAFC of failing to curb what he described as “humongous allowances” collected by federal lawmakers outside the commission’s mandate. He reminded the body of a Federal High Court judgment secured by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and other civil society groups, which mandated a review of legislators’ pay in line with prevailing economic realities.

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Citing Section 70 of the Constitution, Falana maintained that RMAFC has the duty to fix the salaries and allowances of all public officers, a responsibility he claimed the commission has neglected.

He cautioned that any salary hike for political leaders amid naira devaluation, rising food prices, and fuel subsidy removal would be counterproductive unless matched with measures to cushion the impact on the masses.

His remarks follow recent disclosures by RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, who announced that President Bola Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million monthly, while ministers earn less than N1 million, figures unchanged since 2008. Shehu argued that the salaries were “paltry” compared to the demands of their offices and called for an upward review.

The proposal has, however, generated backlash across the country, where millions continue to grapple with worsening economic realities.

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