By Terhemba Daka, Abuja
The Presidency has expressed anger over reports of a purported 114 per cent increase in the salaries of the President, Vice President, elected federal and state political office holders and judicial officers.
It described the reports as fake news designed to create ill-will and slow down the momentum the President Bola Tinubu administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians.
Trending reports have it that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) proposed to raise the salaries of public office holders by 114 per cent, setting the stage for a more complex minimum wage negotiation.
There have also been protests by citizens, amid rising burden of removing subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) on civil servants, self-employed, private sector workers and the unemployed.
Specifically, the reports say the review would increase President Tinubu’s monthly emolument from N3.515 million to N8.013 million. Those of the Vice President, governors and lawmakers would also increase accordingly.
But the Presidency, in a statement signed by Dele Alake, Special Adviser (Special Duties, Communications and Strategy), yesterday, distanced itself from the purported review, saying Tinubu has not approved any salary increase, and no such proposal has been brought before him for consideration.
“While we recognise that it is within the constitutional remit of RMAFC to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and judicial officers, such cannot come to effect until it has equally been considered and approved by the President.
“It is important to note that RMAFC, through its public relations manager, has responded to this fake story being circulated and has already set the record straight.
“However, that this unfounded story gained prominence on social media and in a section of mainstream media, again, brings to the fore the danger fake news poses to the society and our national well-being.
“The misinformation was, obviously, contrived to create ill-will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians, as a result of its fast-paced, dynamic and progressive policies.
“It is important to reiterate to journalists, media managers and members of the public that stories on government activities and policy issues that do not emanate from approved official communication channels should be ignored.
“Media practitioners are enjoined to, at all times, crosscheck their stories to ensure accurate reportage, which is the hallmark of responsible journalism,” the Presidency said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima, yesterday, met with members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), led by Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Also at the closed-door meeting were: Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, and Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The meeting was part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
Shettima pledged Federal Government’s resolve to address concerns that surround financing of the country’s primary healthcare system. The Vice President, who noted that polio is one of the major primary healthcare challenges in the country said: “The proposal is to provide timely domestic financing for the procurement of vaccines, which couldn’t have come sooner, to boost our industrial capacity to produce vaccines.”
He noted: “The Federal Government and our respective state governments are going to set in place a transparent process and structure, to undo the reality of the country as one with one of the highest proportions of non-immunised infants in the world over the last decade.”
Shettima stressed that the Federal Government is “committed to eradicating poliovirus by the end of the year, ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in routine immunisation campaigns.”
Earlier in his remarks, Gates disclosed that his foundation recently announced plan to commit $7 billion to Africa in the next four years, to support routine immunisation in Nigeria, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Northern Nigeria.
Source: The Guardian