The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly criticised the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) over its proposed salary increase for political office holders, describing the move as insensitive and inequitable.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the proposal would further widen the gap between civil servants and political office holders while deepening poverty among ordinary Nigerians.

“The move is unjust, inequitable and will only succeed in worsening the already growing inequality. It will also intensify poverty among the majority of Nigerians, most of whom are already classified as multi-dimensionally poor,” Ajaero stated.

He dismissed the commission’s justification for the increment as weak, pointing out that it failed to consider the extensive perks and privileges political office holders already enjoy, including what he described as “unwritten and unmentionable advantages” that separate them from the average citizen.

According to Ajaero, the proposal is coming at a time when promotion and salary increases in the public sector are frozen and civil servants continue to earn a N70,000 minimum wage, despite rising tariffs and economic hardship.

He recalled that in previous wage reviews, civil servants received less than 50 percent increases while political office holders recorded increments exceeding 800 percent.

The NLC also noted with concern that while civil servants operate under varied pay structures across states, political office holders earn the same salaries nationwide.

“This explains why a councillor in Yobe earns the same salary as a councillor in Rivers. While we recognise the need for good remuneration packages, such reviews must be equitable and not discriminatory,” he said.

Ajaero further argued that the proposed review contravenes the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and demanded that the current earnings of political office holders, as well as the benchmarks for the review, be made public.

He called on the RMAFC to suspend the exercise immediately, warning that proceeding with it could trigger widespread unrest in the country.