While many Nigerians suffer in poverty, the President of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, state governors, and their deputies may have received a total of N651.2m in hardship allowance over the last eight years. This allowance, which is equivalent to 50% of their annual basic salary, is also given to judges in Nigeria, The Punch reported.
The report from The PUNCH focuses specifically on the amount allocated for the President, Vice President, state governors, and their deputies, according to a document from the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.
The document states that the President is entitled to N1.76m annually, meaning that Buhari would have received N14.08m in hardship allowance over eight years.
Similarly, Osinbajo would have received N12.16m over eight years, while the 36 state governors would have received a total of N319.68m and their deputies would have received N305.28m over the same period.
Meanwhile, labour unions have recently criticized the Buhari regime and state governors for causing hardship and poverty among Nigerian workers through job losses, economic hardship, insecurity, and other calamities. These criticisms come amidst galloping inflation in the country, which has eroded the 40% pay rise recently approved by the Federal Government.
Ambali, who is also the President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, stated, “Under Buhari’s administration, just like every other successive administration, we have witnessed so many losses of jobs. Some governors laid off so many workers in the North, East and West. There has been a loss of lives as a result of banditry and kidnapping, especially in the South-East, South-West and in the whole North.
“As for today from my union, the National Union of Local Government Employees, we reside and work within the remote part of the country; any attack on government installations and infrastructure affect our people. Most of them were kidnapped in Kaduna.
“Also, one will realise that the road network is so poor. The erratic power supply has also reduced chances of Nigerians getting their daily living.’’
The Ogun State chapter of the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Union of Pensioners shared a similar opinion.
In his words, “With the present high cost of living and hike in transportation and the rest, it seriously inflicted pains on the workers because the so-called minimum wage cannot take you anywhere. Workers are in serious pain because the salary can no longer take you anywhere.”
It is worth noting that a civil society organization, operating as the International Human Rights Commission, issued a recent warning, stating that the revelation from the National Bureau of Statistics that approximately 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty could lead to an unprecedented level of hunger in the country.
The organization considers this report as an alarm signalling an upcoming economic crisis. They emphasize the urgent requirement for the government to empower individuals in rural communities as a means to alleviate the growing poverty rate in Nigeria.
