» Buhari And Osinbajo Slash Salary By 50% «

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo have announced
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.
With this development, Buhari will earn
N7m per year throughout his four-year
tenure.
Shehu said the President’s decision to cut
his salary by half had been conveyed to the
Office of the Secretary to the Government
of the Federation on Friday by the
Permanent Secretary of the State House,
Mr. Nebolisa Emodi.
“I write to forward the completed IPPIS
registration form of Mr. President and to
draw your kind attention to Mr. President’s
directive that only 50% of his salary be paid
to him,” the presidential spokesman quoted
Emodi as writing in the letter with reference
number PRES/81/SGF/17.
Shehu said Osinbajo had similarly given up
half of his official remuneration.
He however did not disclose the reason
behind the decision in his statement.
But in a telephone interview with our
correspondent, Shehu said Buhari, by his
action, was sending a clear message to
Nigerians on the need to make sacrifices for
the nation.
He said having done that for himself, the
President was expecting other political office
holders and indeed all Nigerians to borrow a
leaf from him.
Shehu said, “That voluntary action of the
President is pregnant with meaning.
“It is a message of sacrifice for national
development.
“Since the President has done this for
himself, he is expecting that others will join
him in making sacrifices for their
fatherland.”
Buhari had on Wednesday turned down an
offer by the Federal Government to procure
five new armoured Mercedes Benz S-600
(V222) cars for his use.
The cars, which total cost is put at about
N400m, were planned to be purchased by
the State House.
A Presidency source had told journalists on
Thursday that Buhari got to know of the
plan when the Permanent Secretary briefed
him of his activities on Wednesday.