We are really in some deep mess a people. This thread was created in response to another thread dealing with the massive salaries and allowances being enjoyed by our lawmakers. See thread below:

https://www.nairaland.com/2241184/why-everybody-wants-abuja-view.

The source indicated the news was unconfirmed, hence we cannot be absolutely sure. But one thing remains certain: these guys receive some of the most outrageous salaries on the surface of the Earth. This is more depressing as these lawmakers are amongst some of the most lazy and ineffective lawmakers in the world.

Their salaries and allowances account for about 25% of our recurrent budget. Former Governor of CBN, SLS, made this shocking revelation years back. I know we can still recall the uproar to greeted his revelation. In other climes, massive protests would have followed; we simply folded our arms and went to sleep. Unfortunately, a problem not solved, no matter how long its denied, still remains a problem; it was only postponed. That's where we are now.

THE ATTACK/ATTENTION ON THE PRESIDENCY

Somehow, whether knowingly or the opposite, the media has paid more attention to the activities of the Presidency than the lawmakers. Most Nigerians believe the President can singlehandedly solve all our problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. The three arms of government must work together, and disagree when necessary, to deliver the full dividends of democracy; no single arm can do it all alone. With the current structure, there isn't much the president, whether GEJ or GMB can do.

Its high time the media paid more attention to what's happening at those so-called hallowed chambers. A lot of things are happening there. The decisions that affect the fortunes of the masses are taken there. No nature can survive on a budget where only 469 overfed, lazy, crooks feed fat on about 25% of its recurrent budget. We cant achieve much with this kind of structure; we can not.

THEIR SALARIES AND THE RMAFC

The salaries and allowances of these thieves, however sickening and humongous, are determined by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission. Our Constitution has empowered it do so.

Section 70 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999( as amended) reads:

A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall receive such salary and other allowances as Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission may determine

Going by the above section, the huge salaries of our lawmakers are legal. The President cannot reduce or increase them; only the RMAFC can do that. And its these same thieves that appoint the head of the RMAFC. We don enter one chance!

There's NOTHING even GMB can do about it. So all those expecting the president to reduce these salaries are now aware the ball is in the court of the RMAFC.

THE WAY FORWARD

Maybe some of you guys can suggest ways we can pressure the RMAFC to make a downward slash on these salaries. They are just a huge burden on us. Its even more appalling and a disgrace to us that we cannot find the emoluments of these guys on the website of the RMAFC; they are PUBLIC servants for goodness' sake.

How do we go about this?

Caveat: Thread like this doesn't go more than one or two pages because its neither ethnic, religious or celebrity! Critical thinking is hardwork!

Good job OP.I'm suprised ppl just got to know ds.it has been flying around since last year.Thanks to FOI.
First,how is RMAFC constituted?
How are the members appointed?
Who is the head?
When there is a will,there is a way!
If we are ready as a people,God is ready to help.
First,we need an opprobium againt these people and their pay.all ears must hear ds and action must be taken.fb,twitter,bbm,wassap,'say no to jumpo pay'.if we can vote out an imcumbent.this one is easy.thank God the incoming leadership promised to fight corruption.
Second,it will start from d presido himself.if d president total salary for a month is say #10m,who is that senator that will not accept #5m and rep, #3m? D presido can do this.he can ask d RMAFC to do this.past leadership did not do this cuz they did not want to.Drake started from the bottom.believe you me,we must start from d top!.we are very hopeful this can be done cuz if GMB collected only 10% of his entitlement and he has not died,#10/month will not kill him.
There should be account for constituency development.these lawmakers hardly make anything meaningful of the const allowance given to them.a Fund may b set up.it may be called Contituency Development Trust Fund which will fund const projects in all statets of d federation.
At a point last year,crude oil hovered around $110/barrel.it sells for around $55/barrel now.this is d best time to sit tight.

Easy we should spread d news... once people are enlightened anything can happen. let's spread d news and let people know d evil it's doin to our economy.

petitmonde:
Good job OP.I'm suprised ppl just got to know ds.it has been flying around since last year.Thanks to FOI.
First,how is RMAFC constituted?
How are the members appointed?
Who is the head?
When there is a will,there is a way!
If we are ready as a people,God is ready to help.
First,we need an opprobium againt these people and their pay.all ears must hear ds and action must be taken.fb,twitter,bbm,wassap,'say no to jumpo pay'.if we can vote out an imcumbent.this one is easy.thank God the incoming leadership promised to fight corruption.
Second,it will start from d presido himself.if d president total salary for a month is say #10m,who is that senator that will not accept #5m and rep, #3m? D presido can do this.he can ask d RMAFC to do this.past leadership did not do this cuz they did not want to.Drake started from the bottom.believe you me,we must start from d top!.we are very hopeful this can be done cuz if GMB collected only 10% of his entitlement and he has not died,#10/month will not kill him.
There should be account for constituency development.these lawmakers hardly make anything meaningful of the const allowance given to them.a Fund may b set up.it may be called Contituency Development Trust Fund which will fund const projects in all statets of d federation.
At a point last year,crude oil hovered around $110/barrel.it sells for around $55/barrel now.this is d best time to sit tight.

Very well said.

Elslim:
Easy we should spread d news... once people are enlightened anything can happen. let's spread d news and let people know d evil it's doin to our economy.

Then let's give our voices to it. Let it trend on facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp.

Let the people know!

dearpreye:


Then let's give our voices to it. Let it trend on facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp.

Let the people know!

If u r on twitter, it's time for u to check what's trending as court orders National assembly to disclose allowance paid to lawmakers

Elslim:


If u r on twitter, it's time for u to check what's trending as court orders National assembly to disclose allowance paid to lawmakers

Trust me, I have already created a thread to that effect. It's not yet on FP. Shameful.

That's being the best news of the day. Those thieves MUST disclose their jumbo pays.

dearpreye:


Trust me, I have already created a thread to that effect. It's not yet on FP. Shameful.

That's being the best news of the day. Those thieves MUST disclose their jumbo pays.

Copy lalastica so that he can move it to FB..

People need to be aware of it

Elslim:


Copy lalastica so that he can move it to FB..

People need to be aware of it

Just did that! Thank you, dear!

dearpreye:


Just did that! Thank you, dear!

UW

Elslim:


UW

Thank you! Let's hope it gets there.

dearpreye:


Thank you! Let's hope it gets there.

LOL... prayer tinz then...

Elslim:



LOL... prayer tinz then...

Kinda funny. These allowances have troubled me for more than4 years.

Buhari already promised four years ago that he will slash the salary of our SINators and representaTHIEVES and that should be so easy now their APC has the majority in NASS, not so

The National Assembly should give a lead in reducing their allowances substantially and stopping their foreign travels. These savings should be applied to education, infrastructure and agriculture with emphasis on youth employment through meaningful and practical emergency programmes.

More from: http://saharareporters.com/2011/12/28/statement-general-muhammadu-buhari-regarding-verdict-supreme-court-jonathans-election

dearpreye:
THEIR SALARIES AND THE RMAFC

The salaries and allowances of these thieves, however sickening and humongous, are determined by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission. Our Constitution has empowered it do so.

Section 70 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999( as amended) reads:

A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall receive such salary and other allowances as Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission may determine

Going by the above section, the huge salaries of our lawmakers are legal. The President cannot reduce or increase them; only the RMAFC can do that. And its these same thieves that appoint the head of the RMAFC. We don enter one chance!

I don't think they are collecting what is RECOMMENDED by RMAFC but you can check and confirm.

dearpreye:


Kinda funny. These allowances have troubled me for more than4 years.

It's craxy very kraxy.. as in anythin de do there is an allowance for it.. it's really sad

I am not a lawyer but the act establishing the RFAMC is very clear on the roles and responsibilities of the commission.

6d of the 1989 Act states that the commission shall have power to 'determine the remuneration appropriate to the holders of the offices as specified in Parts A and B of the First Schedule to this Act.

FIRST SCHEDULE
[Section 6 (1) (d)]

PART A

Offices

President, the Vice-President, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Judge of the Federal High Court, Judge of the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Grand Kadi and Kadi of the Sharai Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, President and Judge of the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory, Inspector-General of Police, the Auditor-General of the Federation and the Chairman and members of the following executive bodies, namely, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Federal Civil Service Commission, the National Electoral Commission, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the National Population Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the Nigeria Police Council and the Public Complaints Commission.

PART B

Offices

Governor, Chief Judge of a State and Judge of the High Court of a State, Grand Kadi and Kadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of a State, President and Judge of the Customary Court of Appeal of a State, the Auditor-General of a State, Auditor-General of the Local Government Councils of a State and Chairmen and members of the following bodies, that is to say, the State Civil Service Commission, the State Judicial Service Commission and the State Local Government Service Commission.

Would it not be possible to argue that since the original act establishing the formation of the commission does not empower it to determine salaries and remuneration of senators and federal representatives, it would be a contravention to the original Act to ask the commission to do so without an amendment to the original act.

This could pave way for a review of the Act. A realistic salary scale should be established for all political appointees with allowances that bear semblance to our current financial reality.

fsb:
This could pave way for a review of the Act. A realistic salary scale should be established for all political appointees with allowances that bear semblance to our current financial reality.

I would rather say that bears semblance to our reality of N18,000 minimum wage for workers of the SAME government, what do you think

anonimi:



I would rather say that bears semblance to our reality of N18,000 minimum wage for workers of the SAME government, what do you think

Lmao....I'm not sure anybody working as a full-time government employee earns 18,000NGN but I may be wrong on this.

I am saying this because there is no way (basic salary + allowances) - (Tax + Other deductions) = NGN 18,000 except casual workers (for example cleaners employed directly by some government hospitals and paid from hospital earnings and not directly from government payroll).

But on a more serious note, I would be very happy to see the following done over the next few years:
1. Cut down the size of the presidential fleet. Only the president and VP should have the privilege of a private jet. Every other person should use commercial flights. Ban on chartered flights with government funds.
2. The president take a voluntary salary cut
3. Cut down of 'flamboyant' allowances received by members of the national assembly. The basic salary is still reasonable
4. Cut down of unnecessary expenditure - starting from the tens of millions spent on silverware at the villa and billions spent on food; and same across MDAs. Government officials should stop behaving like colonialists in their own country. The government should not pay for domestic staff, drivers and gardeners---if you need them, then you should be ready to pay from your own purse.
5. Scrap SURE-P
6. Maintain austerity measures even if oil prices rise
7. Channel funds generated from massive cut backs into
a - Education: Free & compulsory primary and secondary education policy over the next 5 years with provision of free lunch for students in public schools; massive investment in infrastructure (to accommodate the increase admission numbers after compulsory education is enforced) especially at primary and secondary levels
b - Infrastructure: Development of a effective interstate railway system initially targeted at transport of freight; repair of the 30,000+ km of Federal high way
c - Healthcare: Community health insurance schemes that would guarantee free health for Nigerians (this is the most effective and sustainable way to fund healthcare especially primary and secondary health care. Within the health system, government finance should only be used for capital projects - building and equipping world class tertiary centres of excellence).

fsb:


Lmao....I'm not sure anybody working as a full-time government employee earns 18,000NGN but I may be wrong on this.

I am saying this because there is no way (basic salary + allowances) - (Tax + Other deductions) = NGN 18,000 except casual workers (for example cleaners employed directly by some government hospitals and paid from hospital earnings and not directly from government payroll).

But on a more serious note, I would be very happy to see the following done over the next few years:
1. Cut down the size of the presidential fleet. Only the president and VP should have the privilege of a private jet. Every other person should use commercial flights. Ban on chartered flights with government funds.
2. The president take a voluntary salary cut
3. Cut down of 'flamboyant' allowances received by members of the national assembly. The basic salary is still reasonable
4. Cut down of unnecessary expenditure - starting from the tens of millions spent on silverware at the villa and billions spent on food; and same across MDAs. Government officials should stop behaving like colonialists in their own country. The government should not pay for domestic staff, drivers and gardeners---if you need them, then you should be ready to pay from your own purse.
5. Scrap SURE-P
6. Maintain austerity measures even if oil prices rise
7. Channel funds generated from massive cut backs into
a - Education: Free & compulsory primary and secondary education policy over the next 5 years with provision of free lunch for students in public schools; massive investment in infrastructure (to accommodate the increase admission numbers after compulsory education is enforced) especially at primary and secondary levels
b - Infrastructure: Development of a effective interstate railway system initially targeted at transport of freight; repair of the 30,000+ km of Federal high way
c - Healthcare: Community health insurance schemes that would guarantee free health for Nigerians (this is the most effective and sustainable way to fund healthcare especially primary and secondary health care. Within the health system, government finance should only be used for capital projects - building and equipping world class tertiary centres of excellence).

A very sensible solution to a lot of our problems.

There's too much waste in government!