Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), constitutional lawyer and former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Tuesday said the salaries and emoluments of Senators and House of Representatives members is totally indefensible.
Speaking in a chat with TheScrutiny, Sagay also blasted the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – the body empowered by law to fix salaries and allowances of political office-holders for lying to Nigerians on the true amount the federal lawmakers earn.
While RMAFC, on Tuesday, revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860, Senator representing Kano South senatorial district of Kano State on the platform of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, revealed that he earns a cumulative N21million monthly in salary and allowances.
According to Sagay, Kawu’s position reflects the true earnings of the Federal lawmakers as against the lied being peddled by RMAFC.
His words “Two things should be noted here. One, it is obvious that the federal lawmakers have been hiding their actual salaries from us because they know that it is outrageous, condemnable and totally indefensible”.
“What is shocking to me is why RMAFC came out yesterday lying to the whole country that the total allowances and salaries of senators and House of Representatives members is just over N1m. They said it in a very firm and determined manner that if one was not familiar with what goes on, you will believe the figure quoted by RMAFC”.
“For me, these N21m is a realistic figure because three years ago, Senator Shehu Sani revealed that they were receiving N13m as allowances and just over N1m as salary, which totals N14m then. Trust Senators, they would have increased it now to that N21m because when they started in 1999, they were receiving less than N2m but they keep increasing the amount every year”.
“So, that is the truth that has come out now and Nigerians know what the National Assembly members are earning as compared to the rest of the country. It is such a shame and embarrassment, particularly the way they are hiding it. If they know that what they are doing is right, why do they hide it? If they know it is wrong, why are they doing it?”
“This is the story of the black man, lack of compassion and consideration of others. It is me and and my family alone at any cost. That is what is killing black countries all over Africa”.
