Dele Alake
In response to the recent uproar over the alleged 114% salary increase for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, elected Federal and State political office holders, and judicial officers, the Presidency has clarified that no such salary hike has been approved by the president.
Dele Alake, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, denied the reports on Thursday.
The Presidency said Tinubu has not given his endorsement to any salary increase, nor has such a proposal been presented for his consideration.
“While we recognise that it is within the constitutional remit of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and Judicial Officers, such cannot come to effect until it has equally been considered and approved by the President,” Aleke stated, adding that reports of the salary increase were “contrived to create ill-will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians.”
Earlier on Thursday, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, condemned the alleged salary increase of elected politicians, saying “this is not the appropriate time for such salary increment if it is at all necessary”, arguing that Nigerians are struggling with many harsh economic realities, and with over 130 million Nigerians living in poverty.”
Speaking via his Twitter account, Obi added that “one would have expected the leaders and public officeholders to focus on cutting the cost of governance and alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians”.
Comment here