Nigerian Senate don deny one accuse wey suggest say na dem dey determine dia own salary.
Di lawmakers also deny di accuse say dem dey receive special fiscal packages from di presidency.
Tok-tok pesin for di Senate, Temi Adaramodu wey dey represent Ekiti South for di upper chamber say di accuse na attempt to “crucify di legislature by di centurions of political hypocrisy.”
Dis reactions dey come afta one former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo tok say e dey immoral for members of di national assembly to determine dia own salaries and allowances, according to reports.
Dis im tok bin generate plenty reactions as e bring back di questions wey many Nigerians don dey ask for long on how much Nigerian lawmakers truly dey earn as salary and how much dem dey receive as allowance.
Di legislature na di second arm of di government and e dey divided into two – di Senate, wey also dey known as di Red Chamber, e comprise of 109 Senators, wey dey represent three Senatorial Districts of each of di 36 States of di federation and di House of Representatives also known as di Green Chamber wey dey made up of 360 Federal Representatives. Each Member dey represent one federal constituency of Nigeria.
Di senate challenge don anybody wey get credible evidence say na dem dey fix dia salary to bring am, as dem describe any suggestion say di national assembly dey fix dia own salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”
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Wetin former president Olusegun Obasanjo tok
According to plenty local media reports, di former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo bin host some members of di House of Representatives for Abeokuta, di capital of Ogun state, south-west Nigeria and dem tok many tins wey include di current situation for di kontri, di bill on one single six-year term and rotation between di North, among odas.
For di meeting, e accuse lawmakers say na dem dey decide dia salary and allowance, as e claim say na di duty of di Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) to determine wetin public officeholders suppose earn and lawmakers no suppose fix dia won salaries and allowances.
“You no suppose to fix your salaries or your allowances; na di RMFAC suppose do am, but you decide what you pay yourselves, di allowances you give yourselves — newspaper allowances, pant allowances — you give yourself all sorts of things. Wit due respect, you know say e no dey right.
“E no dey right for me to be di one to declare and determine wetin I go pay myself. E dey immoral, and then you dey do am.”
“Di senate dey do am, and for some cases, di executive dey give una wetin una no dey entitled to. All of una get N200 million.” Obasanjo tell dem.
Dis no be di first time wey di former presido go express dis concern and make dis claim.
For 2023, during one public lecture wey dey part of di activities wey dey organised to mark di 60th anniversary of di Call to Bar of legal luminary Afe Babalola (SAN), e tok di same thing.
Reports say then, Oga Obasanjo bin lament say most of di pipo wey suppose uphold di Nigerian Constitution na di ones wey dey abuse di kontri democracy pass.
E bin give example of constitutional abuse, wia e say na situation wia members of di National Assembly fix dia own salaries wey dey in clear violation of di duty of di Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission.
For im remark, Obasanjo bin say “By di Nigerian Constitution, na di Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission suppose fix di salaries and emoluments of di members of di National Assembly, but dey (lawmakers) set di constitution aside and dem decide to fix dia salaries,”
Wetin di Senate tok?
“Na Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation dey pay our salary, and e dey in strict accordance wit constitutional provision.”
Dis na how di Nigerian senate take react to di allegations by di elder statesman..
For one statement wey di senate tok-tok pesin Yemi Adaramodu issue on Sunday, 11 August on im X account, e say di claims by Oga Olusegun na attempt to crucify di legislature.
E clear am say no senator don receive any financial patronage from di presidency.
“To set di record straight, di Senate stress am say dem dey only collect di salary wey di Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation Commission allocate, in strict accordance wit constitutional provisions.”
But e no tok di exact amount RMFAC dey pay dem as salary .
Oga Adaramodu clear am say “di constituency projects wey dey linked to legislature na small thing wey senators dey suggest and nominate, following practices wey dey common for oda democracies worldwide.”
Senate Refutes Allegations of Self-Determined Salaries
The Nigerian Senate has issued a strong denial of allegations suggesting that it is involved in determining its own salaries or receiving special fiscal packages from the Presidency.
These claims, which reportedly…
— The Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) August 11, 2024
Di senate bin explain further say as di executive arm of goment, dem through dia various ministries dey responsible for awarding contacts for constituency projects.
Dem add say di funds wey dey allocated for these project vary, depending on di number of constituencies for each state and di intention to ensure say every region of Nigeria benefit from federal resources.
How much lawmakers truly dey earn?
Plenty discussions don dey on how much Nigerian lawmakers dey earn.
No goment body or organization don come out to clearly tok am in recent times how much dem dey earn.
However, some lawmakers at different times don touch on di subject wey give citizens small idea on how much dem dey collect as public service holders wey dey serve dia kontri.
For 2018, Shehu Sani, one former senator wey bin represent Kaduna Central, say im and im colleagues dey receive N1.5m monthly as running costs, apart from salaries.
For 18 July 2024, Benjamin Kalu, di Deputy speaker wey dey represent, Bende Federal Constituency for di Federal House of Representatives bin hint say dia salary na 500,000 naira. E tok am wen im bin dey advocate for 50% salary cut among im colleagues as support to help Nigerians wit di tough economic hardship.
Meawhile, Speaker of di 10th House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen tok say N600,000 ($375) na lawmakers actual salary.
BBC Pidgin check no fit confam weda di statement from di lawmakers na true but on di website of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), di commission wey dey determine di salary wey dey appropriate for political office holders wey include di President, Vice President, Govnors and Deputy Govnors, Special Advisers, Legislators and di holders of di offices wey dey mentioned for Section 84 and 124 of di constitution.
Di last time dem publish di salary and allowances wey public office holders dey receive, wey include dat of di lawmakers na for 2007-2009.
According to RMFAC, salaries and basic allowances of Senator and oda lawmakers range from One million naira (N1,000,000,000) to N700,000 naira monthly for di year 2007-2009.
