The Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Rivers State, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, has described the jumbo salaries given to political office holders as a scam.
Itubo said it was wrong for political office holders to earn fat salaries while civil servants were taking home N30,000 as minimum wage.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Thursday, Itubo, who is also the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, explained that the earnings of political office holders were at variance with the current economic realities in the country.
Calling for a slash in the salaries of elected and appointed politicians in the country, the governorship candidate, she noted that if there must be any consideration for an increment in salary, it should be that of civil servants and Labour members.
She said, “We have always said that the salaries of political office holders in Nigeria is a scam because there is nowhere in the world where they earn what they earn here.
“Despite our dwindling economy, in spite of the fact that we are living below poverty line in this country, few of them have decided to gang up themselves and carry fat salaries that they didn’t work for.
“Up till today, they are paying somebody N30,000. What can N30,000 buy? A litre of fuel is N200 now. As we speak, a bag of rice is over N40,000, litre of kerosene is over N1,000. So, what are we talking about?
She further suggested that political offices should be made less attractive by making politicians holding public offices depend on their vocations, and not public funds.
“I am trying to propose political offices should be made less attractive by ensuring that it does not attract money, and those vying for such positions should know that they are voluntary without and do not attract any salary.
“If the office becomes less lucrative, everybody will think twice before contesting. When they want to contest, they must have services that they want to render to the people,” she added.
Meanwhile, the NLC Chairman, Ebonyi State chapter, Ikechukwu Nwafor, said the salary structure in some sectors was long overdue for review, even as he wondered why some states, including Ebonyi State, had yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage.
He said, “Presently, most states cannot even fully implement the N30,000 new minimum wage. For example, Ebonyi State is not paying minimum wage among other states; quote me anywhere.’’
