Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has criticised the proposed salary increase for political office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), describing it as provocative and insensitive to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi, in a statement, said the plan to raise salaries by over 100 percent amounts to prioritising the greed of politicians over the basic welfare of citizens, at a time when living standards are deteriorating rapidly. He said the move reflects “reckless haste” and a “shameless grab” at public resources while the majority of Nigerians continue to struggle.
He argued that political office is meant to be service to the nation, not a channel for wealth accumulation, and warned that such proposals risk deepening public anger and resentment.
Obi further lamented that RMAFC is focusing on political leaders instead of addressing the needs of security personnel and civil servants, particularly the police, who he noted remain “grossly underpaid and overworked.”
He urged the commission and the federal government to redirect attention to improving the welfare of public workers, whom he described as the backbone of the country, insisting that the welfare of Nigerians must take precedence over that of political elites.
