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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas to disclose the “exact amount of monthly running costs” allotted to members of the National Assembly.

SERAP requested the spending details of any of such running costs as well.

This was contained in a statement dated August 17, 2024, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP.

The group’s demand is coming on the heels of the recent controversy surrounding the salary of Senators.

A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, had stated that Senators receive over N13 million monthly, but the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission faulted his claim.

In its statement however, SERAP urged the NASS leadership to “promptly end the alleged practice by the National Assembly of fixing its own salaries, allowances and running costs, in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the country’s international obligations.”

It also called them “to end the alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers, and to refer the alleged misuse or mismanagement of the running costs to appropriate anticorruption agencies for investigation and prosecution where there is relevant admissible evidence.”

The statement also urged the NASS leadership to “promptly disclose the total amount of running costs that have so far been paid to and received by the lawmakers and to ensure the return of any misused or mismanaged public funds.”

The organisation said: “We are concerned about the practice by the lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs, as well as the opacity and the spending of millions of naira in running costs by lawmakers.”

It added, “The constitutional oath of office of lawmakers requires them to ensure transparency and accountability in the exact amounts of salaries, allowances and running costs they receive.”

The letter, read in part: “The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution clearly make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its own salaries, allowances and running costs.”

“The allegations that members of the National Assembly are fixing their own salaries, allowances and running costs are entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the constitutional oath of office and the object and purpose of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”

‘Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account.’”

“In the Seventh Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution, members lawmakers commit to strive to ‘preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution’, [and to] perform their ‘functions honestly, faithfully’, to act ‘always in the interest of the well-being and prosperity of Nigeria’.”

“Lawmakers also commit ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Nigeria; and abide by the Code of Conduct contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.’”

“‘Public function’ means activities in the public interest, not against it. The reports that lawmakers are fixing their own salaries, allowances and running costs amount to private self-interest or self-dealing. It is also detrimental to the public interest.”

“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”

“According to our information, members of the National Assembly are currently fixing their own salaries, allowances and running costs. The running costs are reportedly paid directly into the personal accounts of members.”

“Senator Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South Senatorial District, recently disclosed in an interview with BBC Hausa that each Nigerian senator earns at least N21 million monthly in running costs, salaries, and allowances.”

“Mr Sumaila reportedly said, ‘My monthly salary is less than N1 million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000. Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each senator gets N21 million every month as running cost.’”

“According to reports, former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently alleged that the lawmakers fix their own salaries and allowances, contrary to the recommendation of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).”