The newly inaugurated speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said he is not aware that legislators earn huge salaries, saying he always gets confused whenever he hears reports of huge allowances that lawmakers get.
While addressing journalists on Friday shortly after paying a courtesy visit to governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong, Dogara said anyone who needs clarification on the entitlements of lawmakers to contact the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which is in charge of fixing salaries for public servants.
“I do know that our salary is not in the region of N1 million per month. When I hear about jumbo pay for legislators I get confused. The issue of salary is quite clear because we don’t fix our salaries; it is the responsibility of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to do that. Any Nigerian that wants the information can take the benefit of the freedom of information act to request for this information from the commission,” he said.
The Cable reports that Dogara said in conjunction with a competent civil society organization, the lower chamber would conduct a legislative needs assessment with the objective of enlightening Nigerians on the true status of things in the national assembly.
He assured his colleagues that his leadership of the green chamber would be fair and just in the distribution of committees to members stating that in the past, the house operated as one family and his administration was willing to keep the tradition.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that from zonal level, there is fairness in whatever we do there up to the state level. And once we achieve that, we are 100 per cent guaranteed that there will be stability even though politics is all about resolving conflicts. Conflicts arise as a result of human imperfection; we will never run away from conflicts but we will always rise above conflicts,” he added.
They are all the same, may be they have sworn an oath not to let it out from any one of them. Whenever, any interview is granted by any of them, they always manipulate the truth by not mentioning the actual amount they collect in figures. Let them say to the public by their self, how much are their allowances not only salary, that’s the revelation of their take home. Can u imagine some of them like Saraki is still receiving monthly pay has ex Governor in Addition with His monthly Jumbo pay in the house. Hmm, God will judge them all for this selfishness.
Why can’t Dogara declare it at once that this is what he earns as Member of house of Reps rather than referring Nigerian to Revenue mobilisation.