The Lagos State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Funmi Sesi, has called on the Federal Government to harmonise salaries across public office holders, civil servants, and private sector workers before approving any pay rise for political leaders.
Speaking in Lagos on Monday, Mrs. Sesi warned against a wage structure that disproportionately benefits politicians while ordinary workers struggle with rising living costs.
“We are all in the same country. As they go to the market for purchases, we also go to the same market and pay the same prices for food, electricity, and transportation. Government should not be one-sided,” she said.
Sesi criticised the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s (RMAFC) plan to increase salaries for political office holders, noting that workers’ minimum wage of ₦70,000 has already been eroded by inflation. She stressed that if some agency heads earn more than the President, a comprehensive salary harmonisation policy must be implemented.
“The NLC will reject anything that further impoverishes workers while elevating the comfort of politicians. We demand fairness, balance, and equity in wage policies,” she added.
