Advocate reduction in politicians’ salaries, Labour leaders urged

By Fatima Muraina
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An Economist, Elder Tessy Toba Olabode has called on Nigeria Labour leaders to advocate for reduction of salaries of political office holders in the country.

This, he noted will solve the present economic situation as he described monetization of politics as a bane of the nation’s economy.

Olabode spoke in an interview with The Hope in Akure, Ondo state.

He said labour leaders should ensure bringing down the salaries and wages of politicians, saying that there was no other way to achieve the struggle.

His words: “What I think the labour should do is to go and lock up the National Assembly gate and say, ‘ we want every body in the Senate to earn maximum of N850 which is the range of Permanent Secretary salary in Abuja”

“Officially, Revenue Mobilization Commission is saying the highest paid legislature should be N1.4million but how they arrived at N36million, nobody knows.”

 The Presidency, he said must be involved and be able to advise on the need to adhere to the law of mobilization and getting the constitution to reduce their salaries and wages.

According to him,” the President had not done well enough by reducing his money with his vice by 50%, he should have immediately pronounced that the National Assembly’s  own be reduced by a certain amount”.

“If Mr President wants to give his speech by 29th of next month, he should tell Nigerians that,  “look, we cannot continue using deficit to finance out budget. We are financing recurrent not even structural development”.

Olabode who observed that Nigerian senators earn more than any senator in the world, noted that Nigeria must be realistic in addressing the issue of salaries of the political office holders if it wants to move forward.