By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Osun Assembly proposes pay rise for political officeholders
The Osun State House of Assembly will soon send a bill seeking to increase the salary package of some public/political officeholders to Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, made this known during plenary on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the salary increment bill, titled: Osun State Public/Political Officeholders Reviewed Remuneration Package (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2024, was presented to the Assembly on April 30.
The bill was presented to the House by the Majority Leader and the lawmaker representing Ede North State Constituency, Kofoworola Adewunmi, as a private member bill.
Reading the policy thrust of the bill, Adewunmi stated that the last time the salaries of public/political officeholders in the state were reviewed upwards was in 2007.
He said the remunerations stipulated for public officeholders in the Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Remuneration Package Law 2007 were no longer in tandem with the current economic realities.
“You will agree with me that the current economic reality is not the same as what was obtainable 17 years ago when the law was passed.
“It has, therefore, become imperative to review upward, the salaries of some public/political officeholders to better their living standard, which is in tandem with the five-point agenda of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“In addition, the State Assembly resolution taken on May 8, 2008, wherein there was an upward review of the remuneration package of some public/political officeholders not covered by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, as proposed by the state government, has been further reviewed and subsumed under this bill,” he stated
He equally clarified that the salary increment did not affect or cover the lawmakers’ salaries, explaining that state lawmakers’ salaries are statutorily reviewed by the National Assembly