NMPC wants salaries and emoluments of political office holders reduced

A Non-Governmental Organisation and democracy group, the National Movement for Positive Change (NMPC) has advocated a reduction in salaries and allowances of political office holders to reduce the rising number of aspirants which seems to have been consistently heat the polity and described it as danger to Nigeria’s democracy.

This was the position was conceived in a communique issued by the group after its leadership conference held at Exquisite Neighbourhood Resort and hotel,Palmgrove Lagos, recently.

NMPC also suggested a legislation that would make political debate compulsory for aspirants to give the electorates the opportunity to ask questions and make independent choices on best candidates to vote into power.

The communique reads: “Politics should be demonetized by reducing the salaries and allowances accruing to politicians. This should reduce the number of aspirants that vie because of monetary gain.

“Nigeria should be ready to institutionalize systems that will increase efforts to ‘educate electorates on challenging (i.e, recalling) ineffective and failing leaders. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should consider the possibility of availing the electorates the opportunity of voting anywhere in the country, irrespective of the constituency where one registered.

“We should also work on how to legislate compulsory debates for political aspirants, where they will be asked to defend their various manifestos. This should minimize the usual blanket manifestos and promises that aspirants make without any particular strategy. This should help in a careful follow-up with political leaders and do a “score-card kind of assessment on monthly/quarterly basis based on resolutions reached in the Town Hall meetings.

“That is why it would be appropriate for us a s a country to legislate on town halls meetings and make it mandatory – on monthly or quarterly basis. citizens should be at liberty to take on political leaders on the choice of community projects, its value and relevance to the development of their communities.”

NMPC then called on Nigerian government and politicians in the country to stop political inducement and allow for committed leaders to emerge through a free and fair election and curb tricks which are deployed to force unqualified or impromptu leaders on the country.

It then charged the government to work hard and create country every Nigerian has been craving for, a country where everything works and its citizenry be free from oppression and get justice without nepotism and favouritism and devoid of religious and ethnic bias.