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N21m monthly salary: Disclose running costs or face legal action- SERAP tells NASS leadership
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).”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
There was gunshots by some unknown persons at Ofosun Village, an Ondo community at the boundary with Edo State.
The incident, it was learnt, caused panic, forcing people to stay indoors to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
A source in the village, identified simply as Dauda, who spoke to our correspondent on the phone said, “We don’t know who they are but they were firing gunshots into the air in some parts of the village since early morning. Ofosun is an Ondo village close to Benin in Edo State. No casualty, but people in the village are staying indoors.”
It was not immediately clear what could have led to the incident, but the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Festus Akingbaso, while commending voters’ turnout, expressed concerns over the alleged infiltration of some villages under the Idanre Local Government Area by hoodlums.
Akingbaso, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at Imikan Ward 02, Unit 008, Idanre, commended INEC for the timely arrival of voting materials but alleged, “Information reaching me is that majority of the villages are filled with thugs allegedly brought in by the APC. At the moment, all the villages are occupied with thugs. Villages like Ofosun, Omifunfun and Allah are occupied.
“There is a place called Igbepo where suspected thugs are in their numbers in Idanre Local Government Area. An incident happened in Ofosun where suspected thugs broke into the house of a party member to prevent him from voting. We were informed that there are plans not to allow people in the villages to vote.
have reported the matter to the DPO and DSS. To my expectation, the security agencies have not been able to do anything.”
Reacting to the allegation, the Ondo APC spokesperson, Mr Steve Otaloro, absolved his party of involving in any crime and demanded a thorough investigation into the allegations.
He said, “I am in the situation room of APC right now. Let me say first some foremost, the person you mentioned is the deputy governorship candidate of Agboola Ajayi of the PDP. And if you recall PDP had a press conference two days ago alleging the kind of violence that happened in that place was by APC.
“All the places he mentioned, was he on the ground in all those places? He was supposed to be at his polling unit. Even if he was called, he should have done proper diligence to be on the ground. They told us there was nothing like that. Voting is going on orderly, if they have any issue with that, they just want to create an issue out of nothing.
“As I speak, no member of our political party is going out to vote as a member, everybody has become electorate. Whatever violence that is happening, they should investigate it properly, but I can assure you it is not from our members. How will you infiltrate all those local areas, these are routes and farm settlements? Why will our members infiltrate such places? That is not true.
“More often than not, maybe their plans were burst, and that was why he is coming up with this allegation. And since morning, this election has started peacefully, they should allow it to end peacefully. We as a political party, are committed to peace, and we have told our people to allow peace to reign in all their activities in the course of this election.”
When contacted, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami, said she was in transit.
She also said the incident had not been reported to her.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Jude Nnam, the famous Nigerian Christian music composer, has been kidnapped.
Nnam, also known as ‘Ancestor,’ is the National Music Director for the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and a member of the National Liturgical Commission, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN).
He was allegedly kidnapped on Thursday evening around 6 p.m. in Umunnachi, Anambra State.
The music icon is said to have traveled to Anambra for a church function.
A Catholic priest, Rev Fr Augustine Mario, shared the sad news of Nnam’s kidnap on his Facebook page on Friday.
“Please kindly keep Sir Dr. Jude Nnam (Ancestor) in your prayers.
He was allegedly kidnapped yesterday evening around 6 p.m. in Umunnachi, Anambra State.
Sir Jude Nnam is the CAN National Music Director and Member of the National Liturgical Commission, CSN, etc.
“May God grant him safety and quick release from his abductors.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A middle-aged woman and two of her daughters have been crushed to death in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night at Apake area of Ogbomosho.
It was learned that the mother, identified as Kudirat, and her two daughters, Mariam (13 years) and Azeezat (10 years), were said to be returning from their shop when the incident occurred.
It was gathered that the deceased left their shop at Takie at about 11 p.m.
They were going back to their residence at Nana River/Atenda area on a commercial motorcycle when the accident occurred.
It was gathered that the bodies of the victims have been deposited at a morgue.
A source within the town explained that the motorcyclist and the driver of the trailer escaped unhurt.
“The three were crushed brutally. However, the motorcyclist escaped unhurt while the trailer driver also sped off; he was pursued but made his escape.”
All efforts made by Daily Post to get a reaction from the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, Rosemary Alo, proved abortive at the time of filing this report on Friday
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