Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state has called for elected officials to earn minimum wage, underscoring Nigeria’s urgent financial crisis.
Speaking on Wednesday at a special edition of The Platform, an event organized by The Covenant Nation to promote national development, Soludo emphasized the severe financial strain Nigeria is experiencing. The event also marked Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
Soludo highlighted that Nigeria’s economic problems are worsened by the extravagant lifestyles of government officials, which drain the nation’s resources. He suggested that these officials should be paid the minimum wage to understand the harsh realities faced by ordinary citizens, pointing out that the current system is in denial about the nation’s financial condition.
“Let’s come clean and straight with Nigerians. Nigeria is very poor and broke but the lifestyle of government and government officials does not show it, especially with the obscene flamboyance in public display,” Soludo said.
“The poor are hungry and impatient, let’s not annoy them more with our insensitivity.
“In this case, I agree with Reverend Father Mbaka, who said elected governors should also earn minimum wage. I agree that we should be paid that so that we can feel that as well.
“In Anambra, I have not received a kobo as salary since I assumed office. I have donated my salary to the state.
“It is symbolic. It is not much. I think generally, the system is in denial. There must be some signaling, it is just the symbolism of this.”
Soludo also called for a new code of conduct for public officeholders to enhance fiscal prudence while fulfilling their duties.
“That is why I proposed reinventing the new code of conduct for public officers,” he said.
“For the federal government, the actual projected revenue comes to about N6,160 per Nigerian, per month.
“For the states, except Lagos and a few states, most states have revenues amounting to less than N3,000 per resident, per month.
“It is from this share per citizen that we are expected to provide all the infrastructure, debt service, pay salaries and pensions, build schools, and provide everything.
“For each of our wasteful spending, let’s be conscious about the fact how many citizen shares we are squandering. Once we lose this consciousness about the public trust we bear, the society dies irredeemably.”
