The chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ebonyi chapter, Egwu Oguguo, and other prominent residents of the state have called on the federal government to prioritise the security and welfare of ordinary Nigerians.

The people made the call in separate interviews with journalists in Abakiliki on Sunday against the backdrop of the recent proposal by the National Assembly (NASS) to increase the remuneration of political officeholders in the country.

They rejected the proposal and advised that it be dropped.

Mr Oguguo, a lecturer at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, said such a proposal was anti-people and “against the law of natural justice”.

He described the proposal as “insensitive and unjustifiable, in view of Nigeria’s current economic situation”.

According to him, the plan by government agencies, including the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to raise the pay of political office holders at a time the N70,000 minimum wage had been eroded by inflation amounts to a show of disregard for the plight of ordinary Nigerians.

He pointed out that while millions of Nigerians battled with hunger and multidimensional poverty, government officials should not contemplate enriching themselves further.

“It is actually very insensitive to consider raising the pay of government officials, while citizens are lost in survival struggles.

“Any such increase will only widen inequality, fuel social vices and provoke public anger,” Mr Oguguo said.

Also, Fidelis Ochim of the Federal University, Lafia, warned that the proposed increment “is a disservice to Nigerians, who have continued to endure hardship caused by mismanagement of the economy”.

Mr Ochim argued that the duty of the state is to ensure the security and welfare of its citizens, ”and not to prioritise the comfort of a privileged few.”

An Abakaliki-based legal practitioner, Chidi Ude, said the proposal was a negation of the constitutional principle of equity.

Mr Ude said the country’s political leaders, already among the highest-paid in the world, could not justify a salary increment when civil servants were owed arrears and pensioners left to languish.

“The proposed pay rise for the elected office holders by NASS lacks justification and could further lead to economic paralysis,” he said.

On his part, the state coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Angela Nwafor, stated that the proposal further reinforced the perception that the political class was disconnected from reality on the ground.

Ms Nwafor said the country’s democracy was being endangered when governance appears to serve the interests of less than one per cent of the population.

“The Senate president once made a joke when he said, ‘You protest, we are eating.’ This pay rise agenda shows the same mindset.

“It is not the principle of sound leadership to pursue self-interest, while failing to provide basic infrastructure, health, and education for the majority,” she said.

The stakeholders were unanimous that NASS and the federal government should shelve the idea of any salary increase for political officeholders and instead channel resources to fix the economy, improve workers’ welfare, and address general insecurity.

(NAN)