Founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie, has condemned moves to increase the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria, describing it as reckless and insensitive.
Okorie, who spoke on Wednesday, warned that such a decision would inflame public anger at a time when millions of citizens are battling severe economic hardship.
He was reacting to a proposal by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review upward the emoluments of political leaders.
According to him, Nigerians are already weighed down by biting poverty and suffering caused by policy decisions taken by those in authority. He stressed that any attempt to raise the pay of politicians under the current climate would be seen as mocking the people.
“What RMAFC is saying is that, as a commission, it is insensitive to the feelings of Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the policy choices of politicians,” he stated.
Okorie further argued that the mood of the country calls for a drastic review of the remuneration system, but not in favour of politicians.
“The hunger and anger in the land is seen and felt by almost everyone. They should not be talking about increasing the pay of political office holders; in fact, they should be talking about a downward review,” he said.
The APGA founder maintained that government officials must show solidarity with struggling citizens instead of placing additional burdens on them through wasteful spending.
He cautioned that any attempt to push through the RMAFC proposal would only deepen distrust in governance and trigger resistance from ordinary Nigerians who feel abandoned by the political class.
