FG Proposes Executive Pay Rise, Four Years After Court Ordered Lawmakers’ Allowance Cuts
Four years after a landmark judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos directing a downward review of the salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers to reflect Nigeria’s prevailing economic realities, the Federal Government is now moving to increase the remuneration of top executive office holders, including the President.
In 2021, Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor ordered the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) — the constitutionally empowered body for fixing the salaries of public office holders — to adjust the “excessive” allowances of legislators in line with the economic struggles of ordinary Nigerians.
The Court further held that it is the RMAFC, and not the National Assembly Service Commission, that has the exclusive authority to determine the salaries and allowances of the 469 members of the National Assembly.
This decision arose from consolidated suits filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough-Is-Enough (EiE), BudgIt, and 1,522 other concerned Nigerians, challenging the legality and morality of the lawmakers’ remuneration packages.
Justice Obiozor, in his ruling, declared that the National Assembly Service Commission “has no power whatsoever” to fix or allocate remuneration, allowances, salaries, emoluments, or any monetary benefits to members of the National Assembly.
The plaintiffs argued that the legislators’ pay structure was grossly inflated, operating to the detriment of millions of Nigerians, and in violation of the oath of office under the Seventh Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.
They contended that unless the Court intervened, lawmakers would continue to draw these “outrageous” benefits, including furniture and accommodation allowances, despite representing a minute fraction of Nigeria’s population and while many citizens live in extreme poverty.
On Sunday, SERAP called on President Bola Tinubu and the RMAFC to halt the proposed pay rise for political and public office holders — including the President, Vice-President, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers — following a recent proposal by RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello.
The group urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to prioritise enforcement of Justice Obiozor’s judgment, describing the proposed salary increment as insensitive, especially when several state governments are defaulting on salary and pension obligations.
SERAP maintained that the RMAFC’s move constitutes a misuse of its constitutional and statutory mandate, stressing that increasing political office holders’ pay at a time when over 133 million Nigerians live in poverty is neither legitimate nor justifiable under the Constitution, Nigeria’s international human rights obligations, or the doctrine of reasonableness.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for full disclosure of the current earnings of political office holders in the country. In a statement, its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, criticised the decision of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to undertake a comprehensive upward review of remuneration packages for political office holders nationwide, describing the move as inequitable.
Comrade Ajaero argued that such an increase is unjust and would further widen the disparity between the incomes of civil servants and those of political office holders. He stressed that the benchmark and parameters guiding the proposed review must be made public to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with the principles of fairness under Nigeria’s constitutional and socio-economic framework.
