The Presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari would not force those who will emerge as his ministers and aides to cut their salaries.
Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had on Friday announced their decision to take only 50 per cent of the salary approved for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
The President’s current annual remuneration as approved by RMAFC is put at N14,058,820.00 but he had opted to be earning N7m per year throughout his four-year tenure.
The Vice President’s annual remuneration is N12,126, 290.00 but he had opted to be earning N6m per annum.
The development fuelled speculations that Buhari may force those he would appoint into his cabinet to take the same decision.
But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, told one of our correspondents in an exclusive interview that the decision taken by Buhari and Osinbajo on their salaries was personal to them.
Shehu said the fact that the President and the Vice President decided to follow that path did not make their decision a government policy.
He said if Buhari wanted to make it a government policy for public office holders to cut their salaries, he would issue a directive to that effect through the proper channel.
He said, “The decision taken by the President and Vice President was a voluntary thing.
“The decision is not a government policy, it is personal.
“You will observe that the President did not say they should issue a circular.
“If he wants it to become a government policy, he will issue the directive through a proper channel. He won’t make it compulsory, that is the position for now.”
The RMAFC approved basic salary for ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Service of the Federation and chairmen of constitutional bodies which is put at N2,026,400 per annum.
They are also entitled to 200 per cent of their basic salary (N4,052,800) as accommodation allowance as well as 300 per cent of their basic salary (N6,079,200) as furniture allowance.
These public officials are also entitled to regular allowances such as motor vehicle fueling and maintenance (75 per cent of basic salary): N1,519,800 per annum; personal assistant (25 per cent): N506,600 per annum; domestic staff (75 per cent): N1,519,800; entertainment (45 per cent): N911,880 per annum; utilities (30 per cent): N607,920 per annum; newspapers and periodicals (15 per cent): N303,960; and monitoring for constitutional bodies (20 per cent): N405,280.
Their total annual remuneration is put at N7,801,640.00.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also said on Sunday that it was under his leadership that the Senate first initiated moves to review downward the total package accruable to legislators in the upper chamber immediately after their inauguration.
Saraki, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, explained that the question of whether the Senate would follow the footsteps of the Presidency by cutting own salaries, did not arise.
He said, “The question of whether the Senate would also initiate moves to cut down the salaries and allowances of senators in line with the decision of President Buhari and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, does not arise at all.
“The Senate had in the first week of its inauguration keyed into the current administration’s determination to drastically reduced the cost of governance by inaugurating an ad-hoc committee to review downward, the finances of the Senate in line with current realities.”
Saraki said he invited the management of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission for a briefing on the actual amount being received by lawmakers as salaries and allowances in line with his decision to maintain transparency in handling the affairs of the National Assembly.
Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, avoided giving a direct answer on whether he would follow the President and Vice-President’s example by cutting his own salary by 50 per cent or advising members to do so.
Rather, he said a needs assessment committee would be set up to assess the financial cost of running the legislature.
His Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, quoted Dogara as saying, “An independent committee of experts and professionals, including development partners, will be constituted with the sole mandate of conducting needs assessment of the House of Representatives.
“Their assignment will be to determine the actual financial need of the House, including salaries, allowances, cost of running committees, public hearings on bills and resolution, etc.
“No member of the House will be part of the committee so as to insulate it from any influence.” Punch
