Buhari’s frugality and owambe politicians

SIR: Recently, President Buhari and his deputy Professor Osinbajo took some sacrificial steps that are quiet exemplary for the benefit of the CHANGE mantra, dividends of democracy and good leadership.

In furtherance of their campaign promises of reducing the cost of governance for the delivery of democracy dividends to Nigerians, they reduced their salaries by 50 per cent.

This implies that Buhari and Osinbajo will earn half of what former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former Vice President Namadi Sambo earned. The current annual remuneration of the president of Nigeria as published by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is N14,058,820:00. This indeed means that Buhari will henceforth earn N7,029,410 a year or N28,117,640 in four years.

President Buhari had earlier rejected a proposal from officials to approve the purchase of five customised armoured Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars at a cost of N400 million. These exemplary moves are already rubbing-off on some of our Governors like Senator (Dr.) Okowa of Delta State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Dave Umalu of Ebonyi State. We hope that the remaining governors and our federal lawmakers will follow suit to help alleviate the hideous poverty into which former President Jonathan and his junta plunged Nigeria.

We hope these are not mere Barmecidal-dish theatricals – the early morning pomade in the harmatan that cannot stand the rigorous test of the harsh weather. They sign post greater (we hope) things to come.

It must be noted that before slashing his salary by 500/0, President Buhari had directed the release of ₦414 billion as support funds to states (recalcitrant debtors) to pay the backlog of salaries they owed their civil servants, etc. Nobody gives banana to a monkey, fish to a cat and goat to a lion and collects it back with ease. We admonish the governors and their political surrogates not to squander, misappropriate and misapply the bailout funds in reckless conviviality, meaningless revelry, social rascality and debaucherous OWAMBEISM.

• Bobson Gbinije Warri., Delta State