Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has “concluded and inaugurated” a committee to reduce the salaries of federal lawmakers, a February 2020 Facebook post claims.
The post, which has been shared multiple times, adds to controversy around the “jumbo pay” allegedly earned by legislators in Nigeria’s senate and house of representatives.
“Breaking news President Buhari has just concluded and inaugurated a commitee for the reduction of sentors and reps salary in other to provides more employment for nigerians he said that the salary each are collecting is to much, and the soon imported Keke Napep for all the senators and reps so that the will reduce and provides more jobs,” reads the badly spelled post.
But has Buhari really moved to cut down lawmakers’ pay?
The presidency usually announces the setting up of committees by the president and the inauguration of committees is usually covered by the media.
For example, the “National Action Committee for the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area” was inaugurated by Buhari in December 2019.
But there was no official announcement in February 2020 about a committee on reducing lawmakers’ pay.
Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission announced in early February that it had begun reviewing the salaries of public servants, including the president and federal lawmakers.
The chair of the commission, Elias Mbam, said the review could result in an increase or a reduction in remuneration. – Allwell Okpi
The post, which has been shared multiple times, adds to controversy around the “jumbo pay” allegedly earned by legislators in Nigeria’s senate and house of representatives.
“Breaking news President Buhari has just concluded and inaugurated a commitee for the reduction of sentors and reps salary in other to provides more employment for nigerians he said that the salary each are collecting is to much, and the soon imported Keke Napep for all the senators and reps so that the will reduce and provides more jobs,” reads the badly spelled post.
But has Buhari really moved to cut down lawmakers’ pay?
No evidence of committee
The presidency usually announces the setting up of committees by the president and the inauguration of committees is usually covered by the media.
For example, the “National Action Committee for the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area” was inaugurated by Buhari in December 2019.
But there was no official announcement in February 2020 about a committee on reducing lawmakers’ pay.
Ongoing review
Nigeria’s Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission announced in early February that it had begun reviewing the salaries of public servants, including the president and federal lawmakers.
The chair of the commission, Elias Mbam, said the review could result in an increase or a reduction in remuneration. – Allwell Okpi
Republish our content for free
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Add new comment