Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has called for governors and other elected officials to earn minimum wage to better reflect Nigeria’s current economic reality.
Speaking at a special edition of The Platform, an event organized by The Covenant Nation to promote national development, Soludo criticized the extravagant lifestyles of government officials, which he said are maintained at the expense of the nation’s wealth.
“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 remarked.
He continued, “The poor are hungry and impatient, let’s not annoy them more with our insensitivity. I agree with Reverend Father Mbaka, who said elected governors should also earn minimum wage. I believe we should be paid that so we can understand the struggles of our citizens.”
Soludo revealed that he has not received any salary since assuming office in Anambra, having donated his salary to the state. “It is symbolic. It is not much. I think generally, the system is in denial. There must be some signalling; it is just the symbolism of this.”
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He urged his colleagues and other elected officials to reduce wasteful spending, highlighting the disparity between government revenue and the needs of the populace. “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 others, most have revenues amounting to less than N3,000 per resident, per month.”
Soludo emphasized the need for public officials to be mindful of their responsibilities, saying, “For each of our wasteful spending, let’s be conscious of how many citizens’ shares we are squandering.
Once we lose this consciousness about the public trust we bear, the society dies irredeemably.”
