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Bimbola Oyesola
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), yesterday, condemned plan by the Federal Government to review remuneration of political office holders, stating that it was a conspiracy that must not be allowed to stand.
In the same vein, the Congress inferred that perhaps the Federal Government increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) to raise money to pay the politicians.
In a statement by its President, Quadri Olaleye, and Secretary General Musa-Lawal Ozigi, TUC said Nigerians cannot allow such a move because of the dire consequences it would have on the economy, people and their collective image.
“We read with consternation the plan by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to review the remuneration of political office holders at a time the local and foreign debt is overwhelming and the country grappling with a lot of economic issues.”
The leadership of the Congress noted that Nigeria should adopt a unicameral legislature like some countries in Africa have because their former system was eating deep into the national treasury.
“Why can’t we think along that line, after all, we have a National Assembly that you could hardly see all the members seated at every session. It is the same thing at the state level, yet their absence has never disturbed any session.
“Imagine a councilors with O’Level result earns higher than university professors? It is only in Nigeria that ex-governors who served two terms will retire to the senate yet earn pension from the state.”
It added that report had it that if the Federal Government succeeds in borrowing the $29. 9 billion it applied for, the country’s total debt profile would have risen to about $84 billion.
It, therefore, demanded that the cost of governance be drastically reduced.
