Founder of Follow The Money, Hamzat Lawal, has slammed moves by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review the salaries of political office holders, including that of President Bola Tinubu.
He insisted that the timing was wrong, describing the move as insensitive, misplaced, and a setup to make the President unpopular.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Lawal argued that public office was a call to service, not an avenue for wealth accumulation.
“If our politicians and political office holders think that they are not paid what they are due, they should resign and go and find a job that will pay them, or they can create their own companies and allocate salaries to themselves. Let them not put more burden than Nigerians are carrying,” he said.
He added that while salaries had not been reviewed in over 30 years, “this is not the time to do that; the country cannot afford it.”
Misplaced Priorities by RMAFC
Lawal accused the commission of focusing on the wrong issues rather than discharging its constitutional responsibilities.
“Again, this is about rent-seeking; this is about making the President happy, rather than focusing on their constitutional responsibility. One of the roles of this commission is to ensure that we utilise money prudently and advise the government on how to ensure that we get value for money and the impact of investing in infrastructure,” he said.
A Setup For President Tinubu
The activist further claimed the move could backfire politically on President Tinubu.
Lawal said, “I think this is even a setup for Mr. President, because why would you want to make a decision that would make the leadership of the country so unpopular?
“I want to quote Mr. President. He said that we must tighten our belts; this is the time for sacrifice. So, why is it that the political office holders don’t want to also sacrifice? Why is it that it is the citizens who should carry this burden?”
Lawal criticised the silence on allowances and foreign travel expenses, noting that many political leaders still travel in armoured cars.
“The commission just focused on their salaries. Let’s talk about their allowances, let’s talk about their estacode when they travel for foreign trips. Some of them even ride in armoured cars. So, I think it’s insensitive and political suicide if, for any reason, Mr. President passes this into law,” he said.
Lawal urged the Federal Government to prioritise local government autonomy and ensure more resources trickle down to grassroots communities.
He also proposed slashing the salaries of high-earning public officers in order to raise the pay of low earners in government service.
RMAFC’s Defence
Meanwhile, the Chairman of RMAFC, Mohammed Shehu, had disclosed earlier that President Tinubu currently earns ₦1.5 million monthly, while ministers receive less than ₦1 million, figures that have remained unchanged since 2008.
Shehu described the pay structure as inadequate, unrealistic and outdated, given the rising responsibilities of public officials and Nigeria’s current economic realities.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]