Labour condemns planned review of political office holders’ pay as cleric canvasses wage cut

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has condemned the plan by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review the remuneration of political officeholders.

The move, TUC said, was a conspiracy that must not be allowed to stand because of the dire consequences on the economy, the people and the nation at large.

TUC president, Quadri Olaleye, and secretary-general, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, canvassed imminent restructuring of the political system for the country to move forward.

Describing it as a bizarre thing to do, the union called on relevant authorities to drop the idea to restrain the “do-or-die attitude of some politicians,” adding that the leadership belittles the country before the international community by nursing such ideas now.

It argued that it was coming at a time the country was grappling with overwhelming local and foreign debt as well as other economic issues.

To this end, TUC canvassed imminent restructuring of the country’s political system and a unicameral legislature, if progress must be made.

“We are demanding that the cost of governance be drastically reduced. We do not need 496 lawmakers. Governors do not need over 500 aides. It is too expensive to maintain. The salaries and allowances of these public office holders in Nigeria are part of the cause of the economic hardship in Nigeria,” labour said.

But the Federal Government has been called upon to cut down the cost of governance through the recurrent expenditure for national development.

Supreme Head of Cherubim and Seraphim unification Church of Nigeria, Dr. Adegboyega Alao, said the country’s economy would continue to be on life support, unless spending on public office holders is cut down.

During a press briefing at the church secretariat at Maba, Ogun State, to herald the 2020 annual general conference of the church, which begins tomorrow, he urged government to stop funding religious pilgrimages and save the huge expenses for the benefit of all Nigerians and not for a few pilgrimage-thirsty Nigerians