PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas have been asked to disclose the precise monthly running costs allotted to members of the National Assembly.
The duo, as chairman and vice chairman of the National Assembly, has also been requested to provide an account of the spending details of any such running costs.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) made the request in a statement dated August 17, 2024, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, a lawyer, a copy of which was given to Persecondnews on Sunday.
SERAP’s request comes in the wake of a recent controversy over each senator’s “jumbo pay.”
A former senator, Shehu Sani, had claimed that senators receive a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to a N750,000 salary—a claim faulted by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
However, SERAP clarified in the statement that the goal of its request was to “promptly end the alleged practice by the National Assembly of fixing its salaries, allowances, and running costs, in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international obligations.”
SERAP advised the NASS leaders to also put an end to the “alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers” and added that any “alleged misuse or mismanagement of the running costs” should be reported to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.
The statement said: “We are concerned about the practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs, and the opacity in the spending of millions of naira in running costs by lawmakers.
“The constitutional oath of office of lawmakers requires them to ensure transparency and accountability in the exact amounts of salaries, allowances, and running costs they receive.
“The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances, and running costs.”
SERAP said that NASS members should be held accountable, and the money they collected should be returned if it was “misused or mismanaged.”
“This would build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law, which would make it easier for lawmakers to do things like fulfil their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
“Nigerians have a right to scrutinize how their lawmakers spend their tax money and the commonwealth. Nigerians also have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials, including lawmakers.
“The allegations also clearly amount to members taking advantage of their entrusted public positions. Ending the reported practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs would improve public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the National Assembly.
“It would show that the Senate and House of Representatives under your leadership can focus on serving the public interest of Nigerians rather than looking after themselves.”
The organization threatened to take “appropriate legal actions to compel you and other members of the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest” if you did not act on its recommendations “within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.”
Persecondnews reported that the senator representing Kano South, Sen. Sumaila Kawu, announced that he earns over N21 million monthly salary.
This revelation comes barely 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission stated that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
Kawu said: “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.”
The Senate, however, through its spokesman, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), had denied Kawu’s claims.
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