The frugal posture of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, when they announced a 50 per cent cut in their salaries, may not amount to much as the duo, as well as cabinet ministers and other political appointees, pocketed N2.295 billion as salaries and allowances in the last one year.
In a report published by the Economic Confidential magazine, the official remunerations of the President, Vice-President, cabinet ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Head of Service of the Federation amongst other chief executives, were in tandem with the specifications of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The packages include: annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance/ fuel, Personal Assistant, House maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances. Other allowances are: Constituency allowance, hardship allowance, newspapers and monitoring allowances.
An analysis of the report indicates that Mr.President has an annual basic salary of N3.51 million, Vice-President N3.03 million, while Ministers, SGF, Head of Service and Chairmen of Boards of statutory agencies have N2.02 million respectively.
Similarly, members of constitutional bodies, Special Advisers, Speech writers, Directors General, Accountant General of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, CEOs of agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioners each have an annual basic salary of N1.9 million.
The report also shows that in the executive arm of government, only the president and the vice-president enjoy the hardship allowances of 50 per cent each of their annual basic salaries; 250 per cent as Constituency Allowances and enjoy other perks to be provided (TBP) by government.
These benefits to be provided to the two leaders include, but not limited to the following: Accommodation, Furniture, Domestic Staff, Personal Assistants, Utilities, Newspapers, Vehicles, Entertainment, Maintenance and Estacode.
Meanwhile, other appointees, including Ministers, Advisers, Permanent Secretaries and INEC Resident Commissioners are entitled to 200 per cent of their annual basic salary for accommodation; 300 per cent for furniture; 75 per cent for vehicle maintenance and fuel; 25 per cent for Personal Assistant; 75 per cent for domestic staff; 45 per cent for entertainment; 30 per cent for utilities; 15 per cent for newspapers, and 20 per cent for monitoring. While the president and vice president’s duty tours and estacode will be provided by government, other officers have fixed rates.
The estacode allowance per day for ministers, SGF, Head of Service and Chairmen of Board is $1000 per night on foreign trip, member of constitutional bodies $900 per night, Special Adviser and Speech Writer $800 per night while Permanent Secretary, Director General and INEC Electoral Commissioner take $600 per night each on foreign trips.
However, investigations have revealed that an average Nigerian worker, with a minimum wage of N18,000 a month, will have to work for more than four years before earning the utility allowance for Ministers of the Federal Republic.
In Nigeria, it is the responsibility of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to fix the remuneration packages of public and political office holders, while the National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission fixes the salaries and allowances of civil servants.
