The Initiator and Chairman, Movement for Nigeria’s
Total Transformation, Chief Areoye Oyebola, has decried the non-responsiveness
of Nigerian federal lawmakers to the widespread call for the downward review of
their “monumental salaries and allowances.”
According to Oyebola, the recent criticism of the
federal legislators by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee
Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), was just one of many criticisms
that had trailed the lawmakers over the years but to which they had turned deaf
ears.
He recalled that he had raised the same issue in a
publication, tagged, “Grave Issues Nigeria Must Tackle,” which was publicly
presented at a gathering that had in attendance eminent Nigerians such as a
former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola(SAN); human rights lawyer, Femi
Falana (SAN); and Prof. Pat Utomi.
Oyebola had, in the presentation, decried what he
described as the insensitivity of the lawmakers, who he said, were living large
in the midst of widespread poverty in the country.
He noted then that the earnings of the United
States of America’s President were far lower than what a Nigerian lawmaker took
home.
He had said, “It is also strange, unthinkable and
very disheartening that a senator, not minding the grinding poverty of
Nigerians, earns $1.7m a year, which is far higher than the $400,000 yearly
income of the United States’ President, whose stupendous country is the richest
in the world. Even a member of the House of Representatives also earns more
than the American President. What a tragic and pathetic situation!
“Worse still, each of our National Assembly members
earns more than the British Prime Minister, while the pay of a member of
Ghana’s unicameral legislature is a very small fraction of our House of
Representatives’ member jumbo pay of more than N10m in a month, let alone the
monumental quarterly allowances that have led to serious public outcry.
“The multi-million naira earned by the leadership
of the Senate and the House of Representatives even worse, more outrageous and
mind-boggling.”
Oyebola noted that despite their modest pay,
compared to the Nigerian federal lawmakers, the legislators in Ghana worked
harder and “have minimal absenteeism,” while they had also done much to sustain
their country’s democracy, “which is a model for many African countries.”
He said the Ghanaian lawmakers were also more
sensitive to the realities in their country, recalling that an attempt by them
to have a raise in earnings in 2009 was immediately jettisoned following a
public outcry.
Oyebola called for a 90 per cent cut in the
earnings of Nigerian elected public officials, saying with that they would
still be richer than their counterparts in the US and the UK.
He said, “As suggested below, for the National
Assembly, the President, ministers, state governors, state legislators,
chairmen of local governments and councillors should have their pay and
allowances reduced to 10 per cent of their present earnings. If effected, each
senator’s present earnings of N15m a month will be reduced to N1.5m or N18m a
year. A similar 90 per cent reduction should be effected from the pay of
members of the House of Representatives.”
According to him, this is the only way to ensure
that politics would no longer be a matter of do-or-die.
Copyright
PUNCH.
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