Ekun Samuel, 11 July 2015.
President Mohammadu Buhari and his Vice Yemi Osinbajo, has taken another huge, bold and remarkable step in their practical dealings as issues that concerns the welfare of the nation at large.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the President rebuff the idea of purchasing him five new armoured Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars for his use. “Bullet proof cars.” As he described it as misappropriation of scarce resources.
The President got to know
to know of the plan when the Permanent Secretary briefed him of his activities on Wednesday. As told by the Presidency source, and the cost of the cars were amounted to N400m.
The President and his Vice Yemi Osinbajo has taken a step further by announcing their decision to take only 50 per cent of the salary approved for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Their decision was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.
The President’s current annual remuneration as approved by RMAFC is put at N14,058,820.00.
The President's decision to only receive half of his salary will see him earn N7m annually as his salary.
In a telephone interview with the President's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, saying; “That the voluntary action of the President is pregnant with meaning. And aslo was sending a clear message to Nigerians on the need of sacrifices for the nation.”
He said of the President having done that for himself, the President was expecting other political office holders and indeed all Nigerians to borrow a leaf from him.
It remains to be seen how our political public holders will react to this amazing feat by the President as correlation to their own salaries as well.