Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state has suggested that governors and other elected officials should earn minimum wage to reflect the harsh economic realities faced by Nigerian workers.
Speaking at The Platform, an event organized by The Covenant Nation to promote national development, Soludo highlighted the financial crisis gripping the country and criticized the extravagant lifestyles of government officials.
“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.
He continued, “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.”
Soludo revealed his own symbolic gesture: “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.”
He urged his colleagues to cut wasteful spending and proposed a new code of conduct for public officers. Soludo highlighted the stark financial reality.
“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.”
Soludo concluded with a call for fiscal responsibility, saying, “For each of our wasteful spending, let’s be conscious of how many citizens share that we are squandering. Once we lose this consciousness about the public trust we bear, the society dies irredeemably.”
