Has Burkina Faso reduced the salaries of ministers and politicians by 30%?
That is the claim being widely circulated on WhatsApp in Nigeria. Labelled as “forwarded many times,” the WhatsApp message further suggests the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore has increased the salaries of civil servants by 50% while refusing to take a salary as President.
A screenshot of the viral WhatsApp message
This fact-check report seeks to verify:
Whether the President of Burkina Faso has refused to take a salary.
Whether the salaries of civil servants in Burkina Faso have been increased by 50%.
Whether the salaries of ministers and politicians in Burkina Faso have been reduced by 30% .
Fact-Check
Further checks by FactSpace Nigeria show the claim has also been published on Facebook (here & here).
A screengrab of the message shared on Facebook
A screengrab of the message shared on Facebook
“The President, Captain Ibrahim Traore has refused to accept the salary of the President of Burkina Faso while his ministers have donated 5% of their salaries to the war on terrorism. Workers in Burkina Faso also contribute 1% of their salaries to the war on terrorism,” Harouna Simbo Drabo, a fact-checker at Faso Check, a local fact-checking organisation told FactSpace Nigeria.
About the salary increment of civil servants, he said; “The story of a 50% increase in civil servants’ salaries is also totally false. Rather, a systematic cut of 1% of salaries is made each month to fund the war on terrorism.
“The Captain’s refusal to take the presidential salary is true. (But) no, there was no 30% cut in ministers’ salaries. Instead, they gave up 5% of their salaries to contribute to the war on terrorism.” Harouna Simbo Drabo emphasised.
Therefore, the claim that the president refused to take his salary is true. However, the claims that he reduced the salaries of ministers and politicians by 30% and increased the salaries of Civil Servants by 50% are false.
