Reduce Governor's Convoys to 5 or 6 Cars, Lawmakers' Salary to 1 or 2 Million -ACF's Yerima Shettima

In a recent interview with PUNCH, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (ACF), discussed the challenges arising from the removal of fuel subsidies in Nigeria and offered insightful recommendations on how the Federal Government could have better prepared for this significant policy change.

Shettima highlighted several crucial steps that should have been taken before the removal of fuel subsidies. Foremost among these was the urgent need to address the dire state of Nigeria’s refineries. Shettima pointed out that previous administrations had declared a state of emergency to revitalize these refineries, but these efforts had sadly remained unrealized. According to him, prioritizing the functioning of these refineries should have been a top government priority.

Another key concern raised by Shettima was the necessity to revisit the minimum wage for Nigerian workers. He argued that the current minimum wage of N50,000 was insufficient to meet the needs of workers in the contemporary economic landscape. He urged the government to formulate policies that genuinely benefited the country’s workforce.

Furthermore, Shettima expressed his apprehension that Nigerians were being asked to make sacrifices without a corresponding commitment from government officials themselves. He highlighted the disparities in expectations, where members of the National Assembly continuously demanded more without demonstrating personal sacrifices. To rectify this imbalance, he proposed that both the legislative and executive branches of government should lead by example.

In particular, Shettima advocated for a reduction in the extravagant convoys of state governors, which currently consisted of 50 to 60 vehicles, to a more modest number, ranging from five to six cars. He also called for a similar reduction in the President’s extensive fleet of vehicles. Additionally, he urged the National Assembly to review and significantly reduce the generous allowances they received, recommending that these allowances be trimmed to a fraction of their current amounts. Shettima criticized the high monthly incomes of legislators, who earned more than N12 million, and proposed reducing their earnings to a range of N1 million to N2 million per month.

Shettima stressed that the burden of sacrifice should be shared between the government and the citizens. He questioned why ordinary Nigerians should bear the brunt of sacrifices when lawmakers appeared unwilling to do the same. He called on the government and the National Assembly to lead by example and demonstrate their commitment to addressing the challenges facing the country during this critical period.

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