There are strong indications that in fulfilment of his campaign promise to reduce the cost of governance, President Muhammadu Buhari may have concluded plans to slash his salary and reduce his personal emoluments. It was learnt that the President expected the Vice-President and other political appointees to take a similar decision.
Saturday PUNCH gathered in Abuja on Friday that the President would have made his decision public but chose to consult with his close associates on how best to approach the issue without being seen as dictatorial.
According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, President Buhari will earn a
monthly salary of N3, 514, 705. He is also entitled to a regular hardship allowance and 50 per cent of the
basic salary, which is N1,757,350.50. There is however no information yet as to what
percentage of Buhari’s salary and emoluments will be slashed. But it was reliably learnt that the President would also reduce State House budget.
Other areas being considered by the President
included appointment of aides and the possibility of
implementing the report of the Stephen Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
Buhari, had on Tuesday sought the approval of the
National Assembly to appoint 15 special advisers,
unlike former President Goodluck Jonathan, who had 23 special advisers and scores of special assistants. It was gathered that the President, who in his inaugural speech, said the Nigerian economy was in deep trouble, might not increase the number of special advisers from 15 as part of the measures to cut down cost of governance.
It was also learnt that the President might look into
the report of the Oronsaye committee and the White Paper on it.
The committee had said that out of the existing 541
MDAs in the country, only 163 deserved to exist.
A top member of the APC, who confided in Saturday
PUNCH, said that the President had also concluded
plans to submit some bills to the National Assembly
for the implementation of some of these cost-saving
measures.
But President Buhari had, at various fora, faulted the budgetary process adopted by successive Peoples Democratic Party-led administrations over the past 16 years. A close confidant of the President, Kaduna State
Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, had in his inaugural address to the people of the state, announced a fifty per cent cut in his salary and that of the deputy governor.
One of the President’s acolytes, and South East Zonal Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu told Saturday PUNCH that, left to him alone, President Buhari would not bat an eyelid
before taking such a decision.
He, however said, “But you see, the circumstances
now are different, he has to do a lot of consultations
because the composition of the National Assembly
means he has to consult across party lines.
“From the little I know of him, his desire like he said
during the campaigns and afterwards, is to reduce
the cost of governance across board and this cannot be done without consultations.
“We can’t have a situation where he will be seen as
trying to make other party members look bad by
taking a salary cut while others are not carried
along.” He also said, “He is committed to cutting cost across board and I see him reducing the pecks of that office to an acceptable level and this becomes even more compelling because of the economic mess we have found ourselves in.”
Another associate, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, also told
Saturday PUNCH that another area likely to take a hit Is the Presidential Air fleet which is reported to have about 10 aircraft.
He explained that the cost of maintaining this
number of aircraft is one area that is likely to attract
the President’s attention.
According to him, the President who has experienced governance at the highest level is not one to do things in a hurry without consultation and thinking them through.
Fashakin noted that critics may accuse the President
of not acting fast enough without putting things in
perspective.
He said, for example, “The President has not taken
any definite action. Ordinarily, people will not even
expect the service chiefs to still be operating now,
but because of the exposure and maturity that we are
having in government; with a person of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s stature, he studies a situation
before taking action
“He won’t just appoint ministers to fulfil all
righteousness, he will do a thorough job and this is a
democracy which he has subscribed to.
“He promised to cut the cost of governance to an
acceptable level and this is even more so when the
economy like every other aspect of our national life is
in tatters.”
Attempts to get a reaction on issues raised from the
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media
and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, were
unsuccessful.
Calls to his mobile phone did not connect while a text
message sent to him was yet to be delivered as of the
time of filing this report (8:11pm).
It may be recalled that former President Goodluck
Jonathan-led administration had made a provision of
N348, 342,741 as its proposal for honorarium and
sitting allowance for the State House in the 2015
budget.
The breakdown of the expenditure on travel and
transport showed that the president will be spending
N1, 306,834,350 on local travels and transport and
the sum of N621, 067,913 on international travel and
transport.
The travel bill of the president for 2014 was higher
than the provision for 2014. The 2014 budget made a
provision of N2, 378,862,017 for the office of the
president for local and international travels.
For food stuff/catering materials supplies, a
provision of N142, 472,537 was made for the office of the president. The 2015 budget proposal included a provision of N131, 911,315 for fuel and lubricants for the State
House. The breakdown showed that plant/generator
fuel will consume N35, 344,855; motor vehicle fuel
will consume N85, 843,802 while cooking gas/fuel will consume N10, 102,858. For 2014, the State House received lesser provision of N122, 855,267 for fuel and lubricants. This was
broken down into motor vehicle fuel, N79, 950,407;
plants and generators, N33, 476,963 and cooking gas/fuel cost, N9, 427,898.
A provision of N60, 847,647 was made for the office
of the president for advertisement and publicity.
For the State House, N287,514,283 provision was
made for welfare packages; N174,537,975 for
refreshment and meals; N215, 635,715 for food stuff and catering services; N31,582,475 for medical
expenses; and N35,495,233 for publicity and
advertisement. These provisions are likely to be
reviewed downwards.

www.punchng.com/news/buhari-moves-to-slash-own-salary-allowances/

Thank u mr president. Charity begins at home.

Ok

Change has come!

the cut in salary should spread to the house of rep and senate .. those guys make politics too attractive

I pray it doesn't affect my salary @ work

Increase Minimun wage and please do electricity ASAP. No time for sme sme baba.

The only justifyable slash is the budget and salaries of NASS and a strong fight against corruption else, they're as useless as they get.

These men now spend in millions and billions, I guess its been long they heard anything called thousand except when they want to discuss about eighteen thousand naira minimum wage for Nigerian workers

So?
Jonathan did that too when oil prices fell!

ichidodo:
Ofcoures gullible zoo animals will swallow this latest fib...afterall they still believed Buhari never broke any campaign promises since the inauguration infact most have swallowed his "make believe" pseudo spartan lifestyle as his wife and family wallow in wealth and vanity....Until we see his pay slip,this here is just another cheap stunt learned at the feet of the master himself,thieffnubu.

Speaking big grammar doesn't make your post sensible. If u also don't mention tinubu in your posts, u won't die. Peace!

Good leaders lead by example! Ride on my president! Other sectors would soon follow his lead. We need to run a lean government

Thank God baba want to do this.

Change in sight.

I know TANoids still won't be satisfied. But seriously though, I'm looking to a slash in the salaries of the legislathieves. Those guys are ripping us apart.

God bless PMB.

ther times, it is not the salary that drains government coffers, it's the other perks.

Many governors in the last administration were earning as high as N400m as security votes every month. That is where the meat is.

Estacodes during travels within the country and outside are also another drain pipe. The overhaul should be holistic

there are strong indications that GMB will deviate from the norm of impunity and bad governance,and turn Nigeria around. I think our part to these is to pray for him,because the hawks won't like this

His salary and his Vice's is only a small fraction of the financial problems facing us. We have a bigger problem in the Lawmakers' salaries and allowances.
And sadly they are still the ones who have final say on pay-cut or not. Those kleptos will never allow the minutest cut in their pay, so we are still where we are.
So many things are fundamentally wrong in our constitution.

ichidodo:
Ofcoures gullible zoo animals will swallow this latest fib...afterall they still believed Buhari never broke any campaign promises since the inauguration infact most have swallowed his "make believe" pseudo spartan lifestyle as his wife and family wallow in wealth and vanity....Until we see his pay slip,this here is just another cheap stunt learned at the feet of the master himself,thieffnubu.

I hope you'll be man enough to recant when you see his pay-slip.
Apart from not being in the ruling party, you've always vehemently countered anything that looks good and stands to put Nigeria on the right path.
How can you hate a country you call yours this much?