Hamzat Lawal, founder of Follow The Money, has urged Nigerian politicians seeking higher salaries to resign from public office and explore opportunities in the private sector.
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Lawal made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Channel Television’s The Morning Brief, responding to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s (RMAFC) plan to review salaries of political officeholders, including President Bola Tinubu.
According to RMAFC chairman Mohammed Shehu, President Tinubu currently earns N1.5 million per month, while ministers receive less than N1 million. These salaries have remained unchanged since 2008. Shehu described the figures as outdated and insufficient given the country’s current economic realities.
Lawal, however, criticized the proposed review, calling it insensitive and potentially damaging to the President’s popularity. He argued that politicians should either accept the current pay or resign, emphasizing the importance of fiscal discipline similar to the “tightening of belts” advised to citizens.
He also suggested that the government should prioritize funding local governments by granting them greater autonomy and consider reducing the salaries of high-earning officials to boost pay for lower-ranking staff.
