Ekiti Assembly seeks salary increase for public office holders

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has called on the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission not to reduce remuneration for public office holders, insisting that it should rather improve the packages.

The call was contained in a position paper presented by a delegation of the assembly at an interactive session organised by the commission with state Houses of Assembly in the South-West region in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to a statement issued by the Speaker’s Special Assistant (Media), Stephen Gbadamosi, on Tuesday, the delegation led by the House Committee on Health Chairman, Dr. Babajide Omotosho, contended that if the Federal Government was truly keen on fighting corruption, public office holders ought to be made comfortable to divert their attention from graft.

Omotosho maintained that it had become worrisome that in Ekiti State, the salaries and allowances of principal officers and members, the chairman and other commissioners in the Assembly Service Commission, were grossly inadequate to meet their obligations.

“This can water down legislative efficiency and effectiveness, considering the social and political activities of the elected honourable members.

“The level of poverty in Nigeria makes it incumbent on them to attend to the needs of their constituents. It is fashionable these days to see honourable members embarking on poverty alleviation programmes by providing materials such as motorcycles, grinding machines, hairdressing equipment etc.

“There are also cash gifts, bursary awards, among others. This is apart from the expenses on political activities from wards, constituencies, local governments and state levels. These are also in addition to each honourable member’s domestic financial needs. Consequently, their remuneration cannot sustain these aforementioned committments,” he said.

The delegation argued that the remuneration package for members of the assembly and political appointees in the Ekiti State House of Assembly Commission had not elevated them above poverty line.