NLC Rejects Pay Rise for Politicians, Demands Full Disclosure of Earnings

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected plans to raise the salaries of political office holders, warning that such a move would inflame inequality and trigger public unrest.

The union demanded that the current earnings of all elected officials be made public, along with the benchmarks guiding any proposed review by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in a statement on Sunday, blasted the proposal as “insensitive, unjust, and a direct threat to social stability,” stressing that it would worsen the poverty levels of ordinary Nigerians.

“We are outraged by the decision of RMAFC to embark on a comprehensive upward review of the remuneration packages of political office holders,” Ajaero declared. “This move is insensitive and will only widen the gulf between civil servants and politicians.”

The labour leader accused RMAFC of attempting to legitimise greed, noting that while civil servants have endured stagnant wages under the N70,000 minimum wage, politicians have allegedly enjoyed salary increases exceeding 800 per cent.

He dismissed the justification offered by RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Usman, as hollow, warning that turning public office into a wealth-making venture would deepen desperation for power and destabilise governance.

The NLC urged RMAFC to suspend the exercise immediately, describing it as “a potential tsunami” that could ignite nationwide outrage.