Many Nigerians feel this is where corruption is and that the remuneration of its members is being kept secret.

The way to go is to operate an open-door policy. It is for the National Assembly to have their medium for information dissemination. In advanced countries like the United States, they have a television channel that is dedicated to parliamentary activities. We can have a radio station or a channel. Citizens must have access to information about the National Assembly. I will disagree with you that we have corruption in the National Assembly. I’ve been privileged to be here since 2003, I will disagree with you. What I earn as salary in the National Assembly is open. What I earn as running costs is open. And anybody who knows me too well will know that what I earn as salary and as running costs are peanuts compared to what I can earn from my private engagements.



Can you mention what you earn?

Why not? My salary, when you take away the taxes, is N606, 000. I have the payment voucher, I can publish it.

And the allowances?

Yes, I can publish everything given to me in the form of my salary and running costs. The running costs are retired.

What are the running costs?



The running costs amount to N8.5m. How much is N8.5m to me as a person? If you have to embark on research, looking at all the bills that I have sponsored in the House, you will see that those bills that I sponsored are not ones you can just come by anyhow; they are not bills that you pick on the shelve. I remember when I promoted the National Pension Commission Act, it took me out to Chile and other countries like Argentina, the United Kingdom and India. If you give me N8.5m and I have to go and find out what is happening aside from the information that I get from the Internet… Look at the tickets and see the flight costs even if I am flying economy class. So, how much is that? If I have to engage lawyers and professionals to prepare bills for me, to work on motions for me; and get researchers also. In the American Congress, do you know how much their running costs are? It is $1m. Do you know how much their salary is? It is $14,000 per month. Yet, you pay me $2,000 as salary.



So, I agree with you; we need to open up. And in the Eighth Assembly, we did open up. I remember a senator from Kaduna State (Shehu Sani) that stood up and declared what they earned (N13.5m as running costs).

But he was castigated internally…

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That is because the parliament is never popular in any democracy. What is the official car given to a member of the parliament? Peugeot 508 (for members of the last House). A director-general of a parastatal, what is their official car? Lexus! Lexus! Somebody that I prepared his budget, somebody that I oversee; somebody that I’m senior to in hierarchy rides bulletproof (Toyota) Land Cruiser or Lexus bought for N78m. Go and find out. I chaired the Committee on Procurement, so I see these things. And you gave me (Peugeot) 508 that I can’t even ride. I don’t use it. I use my personal car because I like Toyota products due to fuel economy. But somebody that I oversee, who reports to me, has one, two or three sport-utility vehicles; Lexus and Land Cruiser. He has more votes than I do, yet you are blackmailing me.

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Apart from the salary and running costs, what about the other allowances?

There are no other allowances; everything goes into the running costs. Everything is in the running costs. I can publish it; everything is in the running costs. And don’t forget that some of us did not come here as poor people. I know how much I earn in the private sector on my own, in my businesses. I know the number of workers that I have and I know how much I pay as a wage bill every month. How many managing directors and directors-general can boast of such employees? Tell me about one director-general in his private endeavour that can boast of 600 workers. As lawmakers, we cannot engage in any popularity contest with anybody in the executive, because of the way they have projected us. Society and constituents are being misguided and misinformed. Besides whatever you get here in the form of salary or allowances, you have constituents with their numerous problems waiting (for you). Do you know how many scholarships and school fees that I am responsible for? Do you know how many constituents of mine who are ill; people who want to put to bed, people who have to undergo operations (surgeries) or need support? Do you know how many community projects that I have to support or celebrations and events that I have to support?

https://punchng.com/n8-5m-monthly-allowance-is-peanuts-oke-suspended-rep-member/

Bunch of rouges

Useless

Make Dem kukuma give them the key to CBN's vault

Thieves. Quit if the running cost is too small.
They sit there, pass rubbish bills, cannot checkmate the precidency but collect huge salaries.

He can resign

THIEF

Ole..