Fayose berates Buhari over salary cut

One person not impressed by the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari that he is cutting his salary by 50 per cent is Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, who has said that the act is merely playing to the gallery on the part of the president.

The governor stated that he could forfeit the whole of his salary as a governor, and would be in no way affected, because a government official’s salary is nothing compared with the value of their other entitlements.

Fayose told Tribune, that “The president and vice-president announced that they will forfeit 50 per cent of their salaries. That is also playing to the gallery. I can forfeit everything, because salary is meaningless. I’m ready to forfeit all of my own… the whole salary, not half, because we know the truth.

“We know where people in government make money. The president should go a little bit further and forfeit other benefits he enjoys. For instance, all the benefits of the state house in Abuja and protocol. There are a lot of benefits that will accrue to the president in terms of travelling, in terms of sitting allowances and other allowances that are due the president.

“He must cut the cost, because the benefits are more far-reaching than salary. The president’s salary is N1.1 million. Is the president telling us that he has forfeited N550, 000 to Nigerians to change our fortune? No. Even my own salary is about N700,000; I’m ready to give it out without complaining and I’m not going to announce it on the radio or television. And, interestingly, you cannot forfeit it by words of mouth, because there is nowhere you will post it anyway in the revenue mobilisation law.

Read also: Arrest Boko Haram, not opposition, Fayose tells FG

“You can take it and use it to promote the cause of Nigerians, but don’t tell us you are ready to forfeit half of your salary and it’s a big deal. No, it’s not. They should be able to take decisive steps to advance the cause of Nigerians beyond sentiment. They’ve been there almost two months and they had about seven weeks before swearing-in. Yet, they’ve not been able to give us direction that they mean well. I’m speaking this way because I’m in the opposition; I’m not in their party.”

Fayose also said Buhari could not interfere with his activities because the era of impunity in Nigeria is over. “It is a free society; there is no almighty governor; there is no almighty president. We are all governed by civility and by the constitution,” he said.

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