President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are to receive only 50 per cent of the salaries paid to their immediate predecessors, and this is official.
The President is entitled to an annual basic salary of N3,514,705 or N292,892.05 per month under the Remuneration package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders of 2007 issued by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) ,while the Vice President’s salary is N3,031,572.50k per annum or N252,631.04k per month.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said yesterday that the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi had already communicated the development to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“I write to forward the completed IPPIS registration form of Mr. President and to draw your kind attention to Mr. President’s directive that only 50% of his salary be paid to him,” Mr. Emodi said in a memo with reference number PRES/81/SGF/17.
The slash may not be unconnected with the current economic situation in the country.
Apart from basic salary, the president and the vice president are also entitled to hardship and constituency allowance which bring their total remunerations to N14,058,820 per annum or N1,171,568.20k per month for the President and N12,126,290 per annum or N1,010,524.16k per month for the vice president.
Governors Rufai el-Nasir (Kaduna),Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi),Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano) and Okezie Ikpeazu had earlier cut their own salaries and those of all political office holders in their respective states as part of the efforts to cut costs.
First to do so was el-Rufai on his first day in office.
He said his action was a mark of his sacrifice to develop the state.
He described the financial situation in the state as difficult, adding: “as soon as we have all the facts in coming weeks, we shall lay bare to you just how deep a hole we have dug ourselves in the past several years.
“Our finances are in a shambles. Kaduna is the second most indebted state in our country. Our state is staggering under the weight of billions of naira in debt and other liabilities. As we all know, merely by walking the streets or seeing our neighbors everyday, the state of our state is abysmal. Our schools and hospitals, our roads and bridges, our villages, towns and cities, all are markers of backwardness.
“Too many of our children are hungry and in rags and in the street.”
In slashing his salary,Gov.Ikpeazu lamented the inability of the state to pay workers’ salaries,saying he decided to personally identify with the suffering workers and would not lift the self-imposed austerity until the salaries and allowances owed workers were cleared.
On his part, Gov. Abubakar said: “As a mark of leadership by example, I hereby offer to reduce the salary to be earned by the Deputy Governor and myself by 50 per cent. This is our promise to the people of Bauchi State. This is the bond for which we shall be held to account. This is the commencement of the many years of greatness that await our dear state. This is the path on which we require your fervent prayers, support and contributions.”
Gov Ganduje said the present economic reality in the country required efforts to cut waste.
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