The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NASS

  • Re: NASS’ll back extension of teachers retirement age

    SIR: The above captioned story was published in The Nation of Thursday June 1, page 7. And few other newspapers also carried same story.

    The appeal was made by the National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers NUT, Michael Alogba Olukoya when he led NUT officials to the Speaker of the parliament Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

    The union leader said: “ we teachers of Nigeria in primary and secondary schools do seek and demand that our retirement age be raised to 65 years to increase the teacher retention rate in our schools “.

    The request made by the teachers union on extension of of retirement age at this time is misplaced and untimely. This is because there are more important issues that need urgent attention, than demanding a frivolous extension of retirement age for Nigerian teachers under this uncertain economic situation and unfriendly working conditions.

    Elsewhere, in France, The Telegraph reports in 2010 that tens of thousands of French workers took to the streets to protest against government plans to raise the retirement age.

    And this are workers operating under stable economy with attractive emoluments for its workers. Their counterparts in Nigeria are demanding for extension.

    NUT should demand for improved welfare and working condition of teachers, a workable pension scheme, affordable healthcare system for teachers, hazard allowance and other allowances.

    And also training and retraining of teachers, special salaries, provision of latest laboratory kits, and state of the art facilities are what is required; not teachers perpetual slavery in the name of retirement extension and starvation wage they received as minimum wage!

    The union should insist that the National Assembly enact laws that will guarantee those items and ensure effective implementation of the above mentioned welfares for teachers. Longevity in the service is not the solution but a better deal!

     

    • Abdullateef Tanko A.

    nayashit@yahoo.com

  • ‘Presidency, NASS face-off may get tougher in Nigeria’s interest’

    A lawmaker representing, Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju Federal Constituency), Abiodun Olasupo, has said the face-off between the presidency and National Assembly may be tougher in the interest of Nigeria.

    Olasupo told journalists in Iseyin on Saturday that the face-off was not targeted at settling scores but to fast-track meaningful development in the country.

    Olasupo was on routine tour of his constituency to inaugurate projects and brief constituents on his activities at the National Assembly.

    He said the insinuation of a row between the two arms of government was not entirely correct, saying it was democracy in action.

    The lawmaker said,“It might look like we are antagonizing each other but that is what we are meant to be doing. It is out of this that we put many things in the right shape. The separation of power principle entrenched in the constitution encourages checks and balances. I think Nigerians should be more worried whenever they see us smiling to everything.

    “What the people are seeing is democracy in action. This will not affect the development of the nation. Nigerians should not be afraid, we are doing what the law empowers us to do.”

    Speaking on the government’s whistle blowing policy, Olasupo said the National Assembly was seriously working on enabling laws to strengthen and protect the identity of whistle blowers.

    The lawmaker said the Whistle Blowing Act is at advanced stage of becoming a law in Nigeria so that successive administrations would uphold it.

    He added: “Let me digress a little. You should not be surprised that all the measures used in the anti-corruption crusade today were developed by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Jonathan’s administration developed the principle of whistle blowing, Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) but lacked the political will to implement them.

    “You can see that the implementation by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is bringing the desired results.”

     

  • SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    SERAP to Osinbajo: Reject wasteful spendings by NASS

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to put pressure on the leadership of the National Assembly to cut its proposed budget for 2017.

    It described the proposed spending of NASS on the number of expensive official vehicles, legislative aides, travels and transportation, souvenirs, and photocopiers as “wasteful and unnecessary “.

    The organisation urged the acting President to “assent to the budget only if it truly reflects national development priorities, and not serve as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of our lawmakers.

    “To allow public funds to be spent as proposed by the National Assembly would disproportionately affect the socially and economically vulnerable and push them deeper into poverty and deprivation”, it stated.

    It said in its letter dated May 15, 2017, and signed by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni and addressed to the acting President, “In a country where many of our general hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment, and at a time public funds are needed to improve these facilities, it is retrogressive to spend these funds to provide exotic cars for our lawmakers or fund needless travels.

    “Such funds ought to be meaningfully spent to provide clean water, build classrooms, provide materials, train teachers and pay outstanding workers’ salaries.”

    SERAP in the letter copied to Professor Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights stated further, “the more public funds that are spent to buy expensive vehicles for our lawmakers rather than servicing the new vehicles bought last year the less resources that will be available to make sure that Nigerians enjoy the right to an adequate standard of living and the rights to health, housing, food and education.”

    The letter reads in part: “When read together, the obligations under the Covenant to take steps to achieve economic and social rights progressively according to the country’s national resources implicitly forbid spending on such apparently wasteful projects. We are concerned that of the N125 billion proposed by the National Assembly in the 2017 budget, N6.4bn is to purchase official vehicles; N1.6bn to insure the vehicles; N777m to buy photocopiers; N55.623m to buy souvenirs; N807m to fuel generators; N11bn for travels and transportation; N9bn to pay legislative aides, and N750m for medical supplies.

    SERAP believes that the presidency now has the chance to show that the 2017 budget would not prioritise wasteful spending by the National Assembly over and above urgent national development priorities, and the need to improve Nigerians’ access to basic necessities such as interrupted electricity supply, quality education, affordable healthcare, clean water, good roads, as well as pay outstanding workers’ salaries across the country.

    “SERAP urges you and the presidency to require the National Assembly to justify the wave of fresh spending on several of the items purchased last year, and many of which will presumably remain in good condition.

    “SERAP also urges you to persuade the leadership of the National Assembly to henceforth adopt and use human rights budgeting as a tool of tracking Nigeria’s accountability toward economic, social and cultural rights. SERAP believes that a budget is a fundamental government tool for national development priorities and should not be a shopping list to satisfy the taste of high-ranking public officials and parliamentarians.

    “SERAP believes that the proposed spending of public funds by the National Assembly suggests that the leadership does not conceive of national budget as a blueprint for social and economic policy priorities.

    “SERAP believes that by cutting the proposed spending by the National Assembly, the presidency would be working to address and mitigate the negative effects of economic recession and crisis in the country on Nigerians living in poverty in particular and the socially and economically vulnerable in general.

    “SERAP notes that Nigeria is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Covenant guarantees to all Nigerians legally enforceable economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to food, health, and education. The enjoyment of these rights requires a major commitment of resources from key branches of government particularly the executive and legislature for example through the instrumentality of the budget.

    “When interpreted as prescribed by Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the Covenant will impose clear duties on your government to make national budgets comply with realising these economic, social and cultural rights. Therefore, international human rights law requires the government to use the country’s economic resources to fulfil economic, social and cultural rights. Clearly, economic resources of Nigeria are managed by fiscal policies, thus providing a direct link with the national budget.”

    “The lack of enjoyment of these human rights would increase poverty and hunger, which in turn would threaten the right to life and health of many socially and economically vulnerable, including women and children. These groups of people are bearing the brunt and feeling the impacts of the economic crisis on their standards of living, their jobs and their homes,” it added.

  • NASS should pass anti-graft bills

    SIR: Several monies worth over two $225m have been recovered by the federal government through the whistle blowers’ policy. And this is within the space of four months. Some of these monies were banked using fake identities, while some were kept in homes, business shops and offices. The amounts include the sum of N8 billion, $151 million, N15 billion (in different currencies of $38 million, £27,000 and N23 million); $9 million, N448,850 million, N250 million, N49million, and all amounted to over 70billion in local currency.

    These discoveries of stolen funds by the anti-graft agencies are scandalous and have not only sent shock waves to the spines of Nigerians, but they are a reason of the present economic recession in the country. While all this larceny goes on, public facilities, hospitals, schools and security are poorly funded. There is maternal mortality, poverty, unemployment and insecurity is on the increase. Many Nigerians schooling abroad, business owners who rely on foreign currency for importation of raw materials to do business, have been forced to shut down because of the non-availability of foreign currency.

    The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, upon resumption of office vowed to recover monies looted from the country’s treasury over the years. Within his first one year in office, an unprecedented amount of N3.4trillion was recovered from looters. This amount is equivalent to half of Nigeria’s yearly budget. Over USD200 billion is still stocked in Dubai alone, while about USD300 million is being expected from the government of Switzerland, including the UK & US among others.

    While some Nigerians have continued to heap praises on the country’s anti-graft agencies’ effort in recovering looted monies, there is still cause for concern in the terms entered with foreign countries. For instance, within the period the policy was formed, it still is not backed by the law for adequate regulation.  Lots of issues have been thrown up on the absence of an efficient legal instrument which regulates and enhance the activities of the various anti-graft agencies.

    The speedy passage of the key anti-graft bills such as Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (MA), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Whistle Blowers Policy Bill (WBPB) into law can institutionalise Nigeria’s fight against corruption, rather than making it seem like one -man- show.

    Recommendation 29 of the Financial Action Task Force mandates countries to establish an independent Financial Intelligence Unit, FIU, to serve as a national centre for receiving, analysing and propagation of suspicious transaction and other information regarding potential money laundering or terrorist financing. The FATF has a framework for countries to implement and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of proliferation ammunition. By implication, Nigeria risks sanction from the FATF over poor legislation on money laundering. More worrisome is the fact that it is happening at a time when Nigeria needs the information most, considering the challenge of terrorism and recurrent looting of the nation’s resources.

    The unwarranted delay it has taken to pass the bills which have either passed through second reading or waiting presidential assent or still pending at the National Assembly, has created difficulty in the repatriation, management, disbursement and utilization of recovered funds. This will pose a major setback to the economic recovery plan of the government, and make it difficult for an average Nigerian to feel the impact of the reinvested loot in the economy.

    The government must stand up to its responsibility to support the anti-corruption fight by ensuring immediate passage of the bills, to create some form of cooperation between anti-corruption agencies, create independence and avoid overlapping of their functions.

     

    • Charles Iyare,

    Benin City.

  • Infographics: NASS increased budget

    Infographics: NASS increased budget

    The National Assembly has raised its 2017 budget allocation by N10 billion, from the initial N115 billion to N125. What does this mean for the country? Is the increase a welcome development at a time that the masses are demanding a reduction in the cost of running the National Assembly?

  • Reps pass ‘Anti- Almajiri’ Bill

    Reps pass ‘Anti- Almajiri’ Bill

    …seek better welfare, promotions for Teachers

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through second reading a bill that makes provisions for rehabilitation of delinquent children and “to force delinquent children to acquire the said education at any of the special schools across Nigeria.”

    The new proposed law is title: “A bill for an Act to amend the compulsory, free universal basic education Act, 2004 and for other related matters 2017.”

    The consolidated bill sponsored by Hon. Nasir Garo (APC Kano) and Hon. Mohammed Mahmud also seeks to provide for, amongst other things, the enhancement of the welfare of teachers by ensuring that before states access the federal government grants, the states are made to fulfill their obligation to the teachers by ensuring that eligible teachers due for promotion and salary increment are promptly paid their entitlement to encourage efficiency.

    The bill also while amending Section 2 of the Principal Act inserts a new sub section (5) that states: “it is hereby made compulsory on all children or wards to make themselves available for education pursuant to Section 2(1) of this Act, and where a child turns delinquent, he or she shall be forced to acquire the said education a any of the special schools across Nigeria.”

    The Amendment bill also seeks the return of unused federal government block grants to the federation account ; make provisions for rehabilitation of delinquent children and to make parents who are resident abroad but whose children reside in Nigeria liable to obligations imposed by the Act.

    “The Commission Shall return all unused federal government block grant, pursuant to section 11 (2) of this section to the federation account not later than the end of every appropriation year as enacted by the National Assembly from time to time.”

    The amendment bill also provides comprehensive definition for free services, stakeholders and child or ward as captured in the Principal Act, and generally enrich the Principal Act whose fundamental objective is to eradicate illiteracy in Nigeria.

    Section 11 of the Principal Act as set out in the bill is to be amended by inserting a new subsection 2 (a) to read that: ” such state shall ensure that teachers who are eligible for promotion are duly considered and promoted.”

    A new sub section 2 (b) is also inserted into Section 11 to read: ” Salary increment for teachers shall also be implemented by such state to deserving teachers.”

    Apart from Section 11, the bill further seeks to amend Sections 2, 4,7, and 15 of the Principal Act.

    After the Second reading of the bill the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara refers it to the House Committee on Basic Education Services for further legislative action.

  • Protesters storm NASS in support of Senator Ubah

    Protesters storm NASS in support of Senator Ubah

    Over one thousand protesters stormed the National Assembly on Tuesday in support of Senator Andy Ubah.

    The protesters who staged a peaceful rally at the entrance of the National Assembly asked Nigerians to disregard blackmailer laboring to pull down Senator Ubah.

    Ubah who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), represents Anambra South in the upper chamber.

    He is also said to have concluded arrangements to declare his gubernatorial ambition in the state.

    President of Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Etuk Bassey Williams, who led the protest told reporters that they were out to speak against incessant blackmail and campaign of calumny against people in public places, especially the National Assembly.

    He said, “Members of civil society numbering over a thousand are here to exercise their constitutional rights to speak against incessant blackmail and propaganda against people in public places especially the National Assembly.

    “First on the line was the Senate president followed by the speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. It was also followed by Senator Dino Melaye when it was rumoured that he never went to school and the latest of it is Senator Andy Uba.

    “I want to say this very clearly that we have written to the school concerned abroad, California State university and we can confirm to every Nigeria and the international community that the response we got from the institution was very clear and very straight forward that Senator Andy Uba graduated from that institution.

    “A fact that needs to be noted, a fact that needs to be shared among all Nigerians is that blackmailers should desist from further blackmail, enough is enough.

    “The National Assembly has its own constitutional responsibility but what we are urging the National Assembly especially the Senate President who is the chairman of National Assembly to inform the Nigerian security agencies to exercise their own mandate by arresting and prosecuting those who are bent on blackmailing the members of the National Assembly and their sponsors.

    “The demonstration today is a show of solidarity, a show of nationalism and of course a show of true ambassador to the Federal Republic.

    “Nigerians are hungry and from the information we gathered we know and we are quite aware that National Assembly will pass the budget this week and we are very hopeful.”

  • BudgIT backs el-Rufai on call for open NASS

    BudgIT backs el-Rufai on call for open NASS

    • …as it trains budget trackers in Kaduna

    Non-Governmental Organisation, BudgIT, with support from the United Nation Democracy Funds has joined Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai in the call for open budget, especially in the National Assembly.

    It made the call at a two-day capacity building workshop in Kaduna with the Community-based Organisations (CBOs) from 20 states across the country.

    The workshop emphasised enhancing the CBOs capacity to engage citizens at the grassroots to actively monitor the implementation of constituency projects in their communities using BudgIT’s Tracka, a citizen-driven platform, where people irrespective of their location can collaborate, track and give feedback on public projects around them.

    Speaking at the event, Tracka Lead, Abiola Sosami said the call by Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai on the National Assembly to make its budget open was patriotic and should not be trivialised on the altar of mere political rivalry.

    On the objective of the workshop, Sosami said, “the goal of Tracka is to drive value out of the annual budgets, to ensure that allocations result to real development in Nigerian communities.

    “BudgIT has recruited tracking officers to monitor the progress of constituency projects across the 20 focus states in Nigeria. Founded in 2014, Tracka has spread beyond the initial 6 States to 20 States in 2017. From 6 states in 2014 ( Ogun, Edo, Cross River, Kano, Kebbi and Anambra), 16 states in 2016 ( Kogi, Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, Ondo, Imo, Lagos, Cross-River, Kebbi and Jigawa) and 20 states in 2017 ( Kogi, Ogun, Oyo, Kano, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, Ondo, Imo, Lagos, Cross-River, Kebbi, Osun, Ekiti, Enugu, Kano, Sokoto, Kwara).”

    According to Sosami, zonal intervention projects were created to ensure a minimum presence of government in all the constituencies by having some grassroots projects sited in each during the budgeting process.

    Abiola said, “The concept of constituency project is to provide public goods for a greater number of people through good governance, to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure and to guarantee every part of the country has a proper representation.”

    She added that, Tracka has monitored over 5,000 capital projects from 2014 till date, informing citizens on constituency project provisions over the years.

     

  • So, how do they deploy the billions in NASS?

    THE cumulative remuneration of lawmakers at the national level is arguably the most shielded secret of Nigeria’s democratic trajectory since May 29, 1999. Interestingly, there are quite a few lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives today who started the journey in 1999 and who apparently don’t feel any iota of guilt that their earnings, both official and otherwise, have never been subjected to public scrutiny. Yet, these persons insist that other arms of government must carry out the business of governance as transparently as possible. They insist the discourse must take place at the village square where accountability, dignity and openness must be the watchwords. Conversely, the National Assembly leadership and its bureaucracy have always gone mute whenever questions are asked about the thick fog of secrecy hanging over its financial dealings. Those that should know often wax into sophistry and emotive outburst each time the matter is raised, wandering why the people should focus on an arm of government that draws less than three per cent of the budget compared to the Executive that draws a large chunk. Well, the seeming tendentious excuse above has lasted the test of time.

    In a recent interview, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, reignited the discourse when he dismissed allegations of an over-pampered, overpaid and underworked law-making body as hogwash. For him, the billions of naira (between N150bn and N115bn) the National Assembly appropriates for itself yearly go into diverse subheads that it is manifestly difficult for the lawmakers to roll in the kind of luxury lives that we, the commoners, ascribe to them. Dogara would go on to challenge Nigerians to direct their attention to the executive both at the federal and state levels as budgets for capital projects and other developmental items reside solely with them. He was also quick to point out that without granting an effective political autonomy to the local government areas, Nigeria would continue to swim in the valley of perpetual under-development.

    However, Dogara, like his counterpart in the Senate, Bukola Saraki, made a promise that the National Assembly would soon open up its books for the public if only to assure the doubters among them that no one is feasting on our collective patrimony while the majority languish in penury. That was one message of assurance that many had doubted would ever happen, knowing that Saraki’s vow to avail the public of the Legislative budgetary details has lasted more than one-and-a-half years without any glimmer of hope. Now, for some inexplicable reason, the NASS seems to be thrusting the discourse in the public space. Maybe the time has come for the nation to unmask the veil of secrecy beclouding legislative salaries and emolument with the personality clash brewing between Dogara and the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. It is interesting that a simple call by el-Rufai on the NASS management to do more in correcting the perception of corrosive, under-the-table financial dealings by lawmakers would draw the ire of the Speaker at a retreat in Kaduna.

    Suspecting that el-Rufai’s admonition could be part of a grand design to ridicule the Legislature especially at a time when the integrity of that arm of government is being called to question, Dogara insisted that the governor should set the ball rolling by making public his earnings including his security votes and funds allocated to the local government councils in the state. Since the matter at stake here is the need to be transparently forthright to the general public, Dogara challenged el-Rufai to hold aloft that candle of responsible and responsive governance, noting that the leadership has directed the ‘bureaucracy’ to publish the budget of NASS beginning with that of 2017. He said: “I will like to challenge him (el-Rufai) to champion this cause for transparency in the budgetary process from the National Assembly to other arms of government. The judiciary first.

    We want to see clearly how chief executives of states are paid. What do they spend monthly as security votes? In addition, if they can publish what happens to local government funds under their jurisdictions; that would help our discussions going forward.” Moving forward, el-Rufai, who has never been shy of taking up such challenges in the past, has been swift in publishing the details required by Dogara. In some way, we mow not know what should be the average take home pay of state chief executives. Going by el- Rufai’s record, the salary, after all deductions, is just a paltry N480,000 while the approved security vote for 2017 is N4.6bn which he says would be spent on the procurement of some critical security equipment and accessories. He also disclosed that, unlike the practice in some states, the allocations to the 23 LGAs are published online on www.openkaduna.com.ng.

    Reiterating his earlier statement that the billions of naira in first line appropriations for the NASS lacked transparency and, in the main, bigger than the entire capital budget of the close to 10 million people in Kaduna State, el-Rufai said it was incumbent on the NASS to attach subheads to its budget and itemize the allocations to give a semblance of authenticity to the questionable appropriation which was also criminally silent on the “salaries and allowances of its leadership.” Let’s face it, the National Assembly has a not-so-impressive image and laundering such would require more than the hollow pontification by its leadership. Just last year, precisely in January 2016, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, again, drew the attention of the world to the embarrassing greed being perpetuated in the hallowed chambers under the pretext of the principles of separation of powers and independence of the Legislature.

    He questioned the rationale behind the financial perfidy and errant abuse of privilege by members. In the open letter to the leaderships of both chambers, Obasanjo did not mince words, labeling the lawmakers as a bunch of unpatriotic, selfish and uncommitted persons who lack the true meaning of service to nationhood. That is not all. He couched the feelings of millions of Nigerians in these biting words: “The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency. It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be achieved. It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not only be insensitive but callously so.

    It would seem that it is becoming a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and that should not be. The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen, widen and sustain our democracy. By different disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spell out in detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if necessary. What is that?” Well, for all Obasanjo’s rants against an arm of government he engaged in endless war throughout his eight-year tenure, all he got back in response was a trite riposte which fingered him as “the grandfather of corruption.” That was it Mr. Obasanjo! No more, no less. That grave allegation was simply wished away as if it was just another bad dream. Unfortunately, the matter just won’t go away.

    El-Rufai’s disclosure has rekindled the debate regardless of what some see as the gaping gap between what governors officially earn in accordance with the recommendations of the RMFAC and the humongous wealth of these persons few months after getting into power. Almost two years after the NASS leadership promised to unveil the hidden truth, not one single document has emerged to justify how those who thrive on padding budgets in recycled billions; extorting millions from Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the name of oversight functions and cornering huge funds under the subhead of constituency projects allocate hundreds of billions they get yearly as direct line charge. These guys who live in unbelievable opulence and splendour had never been hesitant in clobbering any of their colleagues that dare reveal what they do to run away with blind larceny. If in doubt, ask suspended Abdulmumin Jibrin. Dogara says a directive for the publication of a yet-to-be-approved 2017 budget of the National Assembly.

    That would be commendable if we ever cross that bridge. It is also good that he has replied el-Rufai in like manner by publishing his pay slip which, to my mind, shows little. That is not enough. If the lawmakers truly want to toe the path of “honour, distinguish-ness, sensitivity and responsibility” as Obasanjo demands, they would have to come off their high horses and summon the courage to publish their recurrent budgets between 2000 to date. That, I believe, shouldn’t be rocket science for an institution with a perfect bookkeeping strategy. Would they do this to permanently silence the likes of Nasir el-Rufai or would they sit comfortably with what Obasanjo called an act of law breaking and impunity which detract from “distinguish-ness and honourability?” Will our lawmakers ever stop playing the ostrich each time they are asked to reveal what they earn legitimately? How soon would el-Rufai get a feedback on the need to publish details of its leadership’s salaries and allowances including a breakdown of the yearly appropriation? Would it be as soon as another 18 years of finger-pointing and sabrerattling?

  • Again, controversy trail salaries of lawmakers

    Again, controversy trail salaries of lawmakers

    The face-off between the House of Representatives and the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El- Rufai has once again stimulated the debate on how much exactly a federal legislator earns.

    Similarly, the six months pay slip of the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Yakubu Dogara published in the Media earlier in the week has thrown pundits into a frenzy with some claiming that what was shown to the public could not the true state of a legislator’s salary.

    The Speaker’s slip showed that he earns N346, 577. 87 monthly, with his basic salary as NN206, 425. 83. The constituency allowance also shows N 175, 461.96. Recess allowance is N20, 642.58, while a monthly PAYE deductions of N55,952 was evident.

    However, many Nigerians have expressed disbelieve on the payment. While reacting to the Speaker’s  published payslips, the suspended former Chairman of the House Committee of Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin said: “If what I saw is the authentic pay slip of Mr Speaker, it means I earn more than him from what I see in my salary statement of account.

    “I have requested for my pay slip from NASS, I will publish it and my monthly salary statement of account. Perhaps I have been overpaid.”

    “Besides salaries, allowances and running cost, no member has details of about 20 other expenditure heads captured in Namdas statement.

    “I am aware majority of members feel terribly embarrassed and are presently insisting on having access to the internal budget of the House.

    “Mr Speaker, you know that NILS HQ is not completely funded from NASS allocation but partly funded by FG under service wide vote,” Jibrin said.

    But how much exactly does a federal lawmaker (House of Representatives) earn? While a member of the House earns about N2million basic salaries records show that in addition to the annual basic salary of a lawmaker, they receive a 100 percent as constituency allowance annually; members also receive 200 percent of the annual salary for accommodation, 75 percent for domestic staff, entertainment and utilities is 30 percent, while clothing or are robe allowance is 25 percent and 15 percent for Newspapers. Responsibility allowance ranges for 5 to 10 percent.
    Others are vehicle maintenance gulps another 75 percent, for staff like personal Assistant is 25 percent; and 5 percent for House maintenance.

    While aides to the principal officers’ total monthly package is between N950,000 and N500,000, five aides that lawmakers are entitled to take home between N150,000 and N450,000 monthly causing many to believe there are two sets of salaries for lawmakers: administrative and political.

    The two presiding officers have about 30 aides between them. A twist to the appointment of aides is that only few lawmakers employ people other than their relatives as Senior Legislative aides.
    More importantly, only a handful engage the services of consultants to support their legislative duties.

    This aside, the salaries of NASS members has always been contentious with Nigerians believing that it is unwieldy if viewed against the N18,000 minimum wage of Nigeria workers. Many have called for a review saying that while the people they represent are wallowing in abject poverty, lawmaker are living in and displaying stupendous affluence.

    Many reports have claimed that NASS members are the highest paid in the world with an annual basic salary of $189,500 (N30.6 m) or above. Some even adduce their payment to the high recurrent expenditure of the country.

    There have been calls for transparency in the budget details of the NASS to allow a glimpse into the financial allocations of the parliament, the most recent being that of the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir.

    He said: “Since the NASS began conceiving its budget as a single-line item, how many legislators, not to mention other citizens, have seen the details of the budget? Can anyone recall seeing the spending patterns and details in any published audited accounts of NASS recently?

    “How in the 21st Century can we have any national institution that is comfortable with not being subject to any oversight, audit or scrutiny. The constitutional principle of checks and balances was not introduced for purposes of idle luxury, but to ensure that every institution exercises its power in an accountable manner.”

    To the supposedly high salaries of its lawmakers, the National Assembly has always had a ready answer for such questions which is that its budget is only about two percent of the national budget and that it used to ensure that the remaining 98 percent is properly utilised.

    Earlier reports that touted the National Assembly members’ salaries as the highest in the world above the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa and Kenya and others.

    But the National Assembly has always said such reports were not reflective of the true state of the salaries situation.