The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said that the salary of the National Assembly members is not as much as Nigerians think and 50 per cent of it cannot be sacrificed to mitigate the suffering of the masses. according to Daily Trust.
Amidst the ongoing economic
crisis, some Nigerians have urged members of the National Assembly to take a
significant step in alleviating the suffering.
One of the calls demanded the
lawmakers to cut their salaries by half to demonstrate solidarity with
Responding to the call during
an interview on Channels Television, the Deputy Speaker acknowledged the
severity of the crisis and emphasized the need for intervention.
He also underscored the
importance of sound policies that extend beyond mere pronouncements.
Kalu said that delayed
gratification is essential for long-term gains, even as Nigerians endure the
current hardships.
He assured the public that the
10th National Assembly was not indifferent to their plight, adding that they
were prepared to make adjustments where necessary.
He explained that while
salaries are fixed and form part of legislators’ compensation, allowances serve
specific purposes related to their duties.
He added that spending
allowances is strictly regulated, and any misuse can result in sanctions upon
retirement.
He also said that contrary to
popular belief, the salary of the National Assembly members fell short of
public perception, noting that reducing it by 50 per cent would not significantly
impact the public.
He said, “If we found out (just
like we did during the COVID 19) that people are suffering and we need to
intervene, we will make certain sacrifices to be able to identify with the
people.
“I can assure you as well that
we are not hoping that this crisis we are going through will linger for a very
long time because when you have sound policies, it doesn’t end with just policy
pronouncement; we need to give a timeline for the maturation of that policy and
Nigerians are passing through a phase now in which delayed gratification for a
better gain tomorrow is necessary.
“We don’t intend to make it
last for too long. But if there’s the need to make some adjustments, I can
assure you that the members of the 10th National Assembly are willing to make
adjustments.
“But at the moment, talking
about the salary of the members of the National Assembly, it’s not as much as
people think. Salary is different from allowances, which are meant to do the
jobs that the constituencies have sent us to do.
“Nobody is allowed to touch
allowances, it’s your salary that belongs to you. Allowances have subheadings
for things which they are meant for. If you use it wrongly, when you are
retiring, you would be sanctioned for that.
“So talking about the salary of
the members of the National Assembly, it’s far from what it’s supposed to be.
And I can assure you that if you reduce it by 50%, it would not really impact
the public.
“Based on current economic
indices and the inflationary rate at the moment, what the members of the
National Assembly are receiving cannot actively take them home to do their jobs
in their various constituencies. So how could they cut their salaries by half?”
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