Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, has categorically stated that reports of a salary increase for political office holders and judicial officers are false. Alake made this clarification in a statement released on Thursday.
While the responsibility of reviewing and adjusting salaries lies with the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as per the constitution, Alake emphasized that no such changes have been approved at this time. He clarified, “We state without any equivocation that President Bola Tinubu has not approved any salary increase, and no such proposal has been brought before him for consideration.”
The misinformation regarding the salary increase appears to be a deliberate attempt to create hostility towards the new administration and hinder the positive momentum and widespread support enjoyed by the Tinubu-led government due to its dynamic and progressive policies. Alake urged journalists, media managers, and the public to disregard stories on government activities and policy issues that do not come from approved official communication channels.
In a related development, the RMAFC has provided an explanation for recommending a 114 percent increase in the basic salary for public office holders. Hassan Mohammed Usman, the Federal Commissioner of RMAFC, stated during an interview on Arise TV that the salary review had been overdue since 2007 but had not been conducted for specific reasons.
Usman further explained that for the past 15 years, the salaries of political, judicial, and public office holders have not been reviewed by the government. The review is based on the fact that the consumer price index has scientifically increased by 371 percent from 2008 to 2022.
