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SUNDAY MUSINGS:
Our Expensive Democracy, Our Corruptible Democracy
By: Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD , Burtonsville, MD, USA
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September 10, 2000
Quick back-of-the-envelope calculations have revealed that the latest round of proposed salary schedule in Nigeria will gulp at least 12 billion naira of government money annually. The quick calculations are as follows:
|
Office |
Salary (N) |
Number |
Gross Salary (N) |
Benefits (N)
(5x Salary) |
|
President |
1,400,000.00 |
1 |
1.4M |
6M |
|
Vice President |
993,697.00 |
1 |
1.0M |
5M |
|
Senate President |
993,697.00 |
1 |
1.0M |
5M |
|
Speaker, NASS |
993.697.00 |
1 |
1.0M |
5M |
|
Deputy Senate Pres. |
923,667.00 |
1 |
0.9M |
4.5M |
|
Deputy Speaker |
923,667.00 |
1 |
0.9M |
4.5M |
|
Senators |
809,000.00 |
109 |
88M |
440M |
|
Member, NHASS |
794,085.00 |
360 |
288M |
1,440M |
|
Governor |
889,482.00 |
36 |
32.4M |
160M |
|
Deputy Governor |
884,886.00 |
36 |
32.4M |
160M |
|
Accountant General |
672,479.00 |
1 |
0.7M |
3.5M |
|
Commissioner |
534,890.00 |
360 |
190M |
945M |
|
Secretary SG |
534,890.00 |
36 |
19M |
95M |
|
Chairman of Commission |
513,021.00 |
100 |
51M |
255M |
|
Head of Civil Service |
509,663.00 |
1 |
0.51M |
2.5M |
|
Chief Judge, Grand Khadi |
798,172.00 |
50 |
40M |
200M |
|
Speaker, State House Assy. |
655,950.00 |
36 |
24M |
120M |
|
Deputy Speaker, State House Assy. |
578,393.00 |
36 |
21M |
102M |
|
Member, State House Assy. |
534,890.00 |
800 |
424M |
2,120M |
|
LG Chairman |
454,156.00 |
774 |
350M |
174M * |
|
LG Vice Chairman |
426,528.00 |
774 |
310M |
162M * |
|
Supervisor |
404,650.00 |
774 |
310 |
150 * |
|
Secretary |
370,729.00 |
774 |
286M |
143 * |
|
LG Councilor |
380,038.00 |
5000 |
1,900M |
950M * |
|
Total |
10,837 |
4,395M |
7,651M |
Notes:
- * 2.5 times basic salary.
- The above table does not include Federal ministers and advisors, or the army of civil servants.
- The totals of the actual benefits for each position above were listed to be anywhere from 250% of the basic salary to 600%. WE have used 500% for ease of calculations unless stated otherwise.
Where was the public input in this salary schedule? Can we afford such high salaries AND benefits ("perks") in our society? Absolutely not! Where will we get money for development?
Government manages wealth, and does not create it, and a society which rewards the most those who create the least wealth is an unjust one. Our society, by paying the highest set of salaries to its elected/political officials, does not promote the principle of government as service and sacrifice, and hence is one that is bound to promote both "sit-tightism" and rank corruption when elections come around.
And more under-development.
We got to do something about this. This is more than serious.
Some additional data:
|
Category |
Nigeria |
USA |
|
Minimum Wage (MW) |
N7,500/month
N90,000/annum |
$5.15/hour
$10,700/annum |
|
MW Ratio USA/Nigeria
(assumes $1=N100) |
11.8 |
not applicable |
|
US Presidential Salary |
not applicable |
$200,000 |
|
Presidential Salary Ratio USA/Nigeria |
14.3 |
not applicable |
|
Presidential Salary/MW |
15.6 |
18.7 |
|
National Budget |
$6.5B (N650B - 1999) |
$1.8Trillion |
|
Budget Ratio US/Nigeria |
277 |
Not applicable |
|
Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
270 |
Not Avail. |
|
Per Capita Gross National Product (GNP) |
$3,010 |
$35,000 (approx) |
|
GNP |
$40.2 Billion |
$7 Trillion (approx) |
|
GDP Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) |
$110.5 Billion |
$9.255 Trillion |
|
GDP Real Growth Rate |
2.7% |
4.1% |
|
GDP Per Capita (PPP) |
$970 |
$33,900 |
|
Expenditure |
Not Avail. |
$1.703 Trillion |
|
External Debt |
$29 Billion |
$862 Billion |
|
Category |
Nigeria |
USA |
Sources:
On Nigerian Salaries:
Read:
Vanguard August 28
Vanguard September 4
Vanguard August 14
NigeriaWorld News Archives
On US (Presidential) Salaries:
Hearing on "Salary of the President of the United States"
Monday, May 24, 1999, 1:30 p.m.
Room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
In particular, read:
Testimony by Sharon S. Gressle
Testimony by Donald Simon
Testimony by Paul Light
Testimony by Robin Ferracone
Other information:
CIA World Fact Book
World Bank (Opens in a new window)
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Published with the permission of Dr. Bolaji Aluko
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