Rewarding failure in political office!

Quite ruinously to our economy, less than 18,000 politicians nationwide cost us N1.3 trillion annually as salaries, allowances and perks of office. The fundamental principle behind occupying high office is supposed to be public service and it’s condemnable that in spite of ruining both our economy and social fabric with their extreme selfishness and corrupt […]

Quite ruinously to our economy, less than 18,000 politicians nationwide cost us N1.3 trillion annually as salaries, allowances and perks of office. The fundamental principle behind occupying high office is supposed to be public service and it’s condemnable that in spite of ruining both our economy and social fabric with their extreme selfishness and corrupt practices our leaders are free to reward themselves.
 It’s become part of our political culture that political office holders are “entitled” to whopping salaries, allowances and severance payments. The latest craze is for leaders of the executive and legislature to expect a lifetime of luxury at public expense. Even as Nigerians seek ways to reduce the exorbitant cost of our democracy and the avenues through which political office holders milk the economy dry, legislators in their wisdom added to the list of those living of the State. The National Assembly recently approved life pensions for former Senate presidents and speakers of the House of Representatives. Many commentators have condemned this approval as immoral and wicked.
The truth is that while political appointees across all party lines feather their nests at public expense hundreds of elderly Nigerians die needlessly as a result of unpaid pensions after a lifetime of service to the nation. During the first republic political leaders made no provisions for life after office. Nowadays things are different. Most governors have arranged for themselves generous pension packages which include but isn’t limited to 100% pay for life equal to the salary of the incumbent governor, generous medical allowances for them and their family members, annual holiday provision, and provisions for personal staff, vehicles and security. These are in addition to a generous severance package.
 A typical example is Lagos State, where the popular outgoing Governor Babatubde Fashola is “entitled” to 100% salary for life, one house in Abuja and one in Lagos, two cars and one back-up vehicle replaceable every three years, furniture allowance at 300% of basic annual salary payable every two years, a cook steward, a gardener and other domestic staff who shall be pensionable,  free medical treatment  for himself and his family,  car maintenance at 30% of basic annual salary, three permanent security operatives, as well as an “entertainment” allowance, utility allowance, drivers and a severance gratuity. Although it’s wrong and morally unconscionable little can actually be done about it because it’s the law. At the federal level President Jonathan Vice President Namadi Sambo, non-returning federal lawmakers, ministers and presidential aides will be paid N3.2 billion as severance allowances approved in the remuneration package put together by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission. Senators who aren’t returning to the Senate are entitled to 300% of their basic annual salary which amounts to over six million each. Members of the House of Reps not returning are entitled to slightly less at 5.8 million naira each. Presidential aides (numbering over 130) and ministers of state are entitled to approximately the same amount. Each senior minister is entitled to six million naira.
The fact that most of them are leaving because they were rejected by the electorate as failures seems to be immaterial. Not only are these payments immoral in light of the abysmal minimum wage, but added to all the political pension liabilities of various state governments the simple truth is the nation can’t afford it. When seeking office our politicians pretend to want to serve the people it’s now evident that they only want to serve themselves. In the First Republic legislators were part time and received payments only when they attended sessions in the House. The nation also operated a parliamentary system in which Ministers were members of the House who had been voted for. The aim was to minimize the cost of governance. Life after political office is not a substantive position and the generous salaries and allowances paid to political office holders was considered more than enough reward for their efforts. But our new breed politicians changed all this. They approved lifetime payments and “severance” gratuities whose stated purpose was to dissuade our political leaders from being corrupt. However it’s an open secret that our ex-governors and presidents are amongst the most corrupt in the world owning assets which are not justified by either their salaries or gratuities.
 Pitifully, the perks our leaders arrange for themselves only highlight their own shortcomings. The truth is if they had developed good road or rail networks they wouldn’t require new cars to be replaced every three years. If they had developed a national medical health system with standard hospitals and well qualified doctors they wouldn’t require overseas medical treatment. If they had ensured a secure and well policed nation they wouldn’t require personal security. If they had developed constant electricity they wouldn’t need multiple expensive sound proof generators. If they hadn’t mismanaged the educational system they wouldn’t need to send their children to school overseas. If they hadn’t mismanaged the economy and instead had created employment opportunities they wouldn’t need to be paid such large severance payments. If they had instituted an effective national old-age pension scheme they wouldn’t be worried about their future. On both moral and financial grounds the nation just cannot afford to allow politicians continue to reward themselves for consistent failure.