President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, state governors, and their deputies have reportedly received about N651.2m as a hardship allowance over the last eight years, according to findings by The PUNCH.
This allowance, calculated as 50% of the annual basic salary, is also granted to judges across the nation.
According to a document from the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission’s website, President Buhari receives N1.76m annually as a hardship allowance, accumulating to N14.08m over eight years.
Similarly, Vice President Osinbajo’s annual allowance of N1.52m would total N12.16m over the same period.
State governors and their deputies receive an annual hardship allowance of N1.11m and N1.06m respectively, equating to an eight-year total of N319.68m for the governors and N305.28m for their deputies.
As President Buhari nears the end of his term, labour unions have criticized the government for impoverishing workers and increasing hardship for Nigerians.
Inflation has severely impacted the recently approved 40% pay rise, according to the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Hakeem Ambali.
He claimed that workers have experienced job losses, insecurity, and economic hardship under Buhari’s administration.
This report comes amidst increasing concerns over economic instability and poverty rates in Nigeria, with the National Bureau of Statistics reporting that approximately 133 million Nigerians live in poverty.
The International Human Rights Commission has warned that this could lead to unprecedented levels of hunger in Nigeria if not addressed urgently.