Stop payment of jumbo salaries/allowances to legislators - Falana tells Buhari
- Following the revelation by Shehu Sani about the remuneration package of legislators, Femi Falana has sent a message to President Muhammadu Buhari
- The senior advocate asked the president to stop the payment of such jumbo salaries and allowances
- Falana stated that Sani’s revelation had affirmed the statement made by Prof Itse Sagay, that Nigerian legislators were the highest paid in the world
President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by foremost human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), to stop the jumbo salaries and allowances of federal legislators.
According to The Nation, Falana made his comments in a statement released on Sunday, March 11.
Legit.ng gathers that Falana opined that the revelations by Senator Shehu Sani on the remuneration package for senators, provides an opportunity for Nigerians to review the cost of governance.
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He stated: “According to the senator (Shehu Sani), the running cost of each senator is N13.1 million in addition to a consolidated salary of N750,000 per month. Apart from the monthly package of N13.8 million, each senator is given the opportunity to execute constituency projects to the tune of N200 million per annum.
“However, the disclosure made by Senator Sani does not cover the allowances for cars, housing, wardrobe, furniture etc running to several millions of Naira approved for each senator.”
According to him, Sani's revelation should provide an opportunity for the Nigerian people to review the entire costs of governance under this democratic dispensation which he described as rickety.
“The Buhari administration owes the nation a duty to ensure that no political officer is paid salaries and allowances that have not been approved by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation Fiscal Commission.
“The members of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission empowered by section 70 of the Constitution to approve the salaries and allowances of the legislators have always washed off their hands like Pontius Pilate, while the Budget Office has never questioned the payment of unauthorised salaries and allowances to federal legislators.
“While we commend Senator Shehu Sani for exposing the secrecy which had enveloped the salaries and allowances of federal legislators in Nigeria before now, it is crystal clear that the statement credited to Professor Itse Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council not too long ago to the effect that Nigerian legislators are the highest paid in the world cannot be faulted," he added.
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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Senator Shehu Sani revealed that he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost.
Sani disclosed that apart from the running cost, senators also earn N750,000 monthly salary. He stated that there was no specific instruction on what the running cost should be used for, but that lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.
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Source: Legit.ng
