There's an urgent need for the redistribution of the common wealth of Nigeria. The current salaries and allowances of politcal class must be urgently reviewed... From the Presidency to the National Assembly; and also at state level. That's the real "CHANGE" Nigerians want.
Below is the breakdown of the monthly earnings of a Nigerian senator:
NOTE: ALL ARE IN NAIRA
Basic Salary – 2,484 245.50
Hardship Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1 242 122.70
Consistuency allowance (200% of B.S) – 4 968 509.00
Furniture Allowance (300% of B.S) – 7 452 736.50
Newspapers Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1 242 122.70
Wardrobe Allowance (25% of B.S) – 621 061.37
Recess Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248 424.55
Accommodation (200% of B.S) – 4 968 509.00
Utilities (30% of B.S) – 828 081.83
Domestic Staff (75% of B.S) – 1 863 184.12
Entertainment (30% of B.S) – 828 081.83
Personal Assistance (25% of B.S) – 621 061.37
Vehicle Maintainance Allowance (75% of B.S) – 1 863 184.12
Leave Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248 424.55
Severance grautity (300% of B.S) – 7 452 736.50
Motor Vehicle Allowance (400% of B.S) – 9 936 982.00 – Every Four Years
Senators’ salary per month – N 2 456 647.7
Total = N 29 479 749 * 109 Senators
Grand Total = N 3 264 329 264.10
The breakdown above does not include: the quaterly unaccountable constituency allowances (35million for each house of rep. member. 48 million for each sen.), their individual convoy of tinted bulletproofs dozens of brandnew Jeeps, some unnamed backyard moneys, some big and fat handy envelops nor does it include ‘never to be known by the public’ moneys not to talk of embezzlement and bribery etc.
From the breakdown one will immediately understand the reason why our politics is christianed ‘DO OR DIE AFFAIR’ for the money seems enough for any insane senator, as it seems we have, to want to end his opponent breath at election. No wonder the senate president has turned his public post into a life affair stuff. No wonder senatorial and representative sits have turned hereditarial in nature for after the said 2 terms the sit should be left for relatives or children. No wonder we kept having boxers and wrestlers in N.A instead of them representing the nation in several weight titles and championships. No wonder ‘serving’ the people is a must by some hypocrites i.e serving us among themselves. No wonder the word ‘politician’ is now a profession in our country. No wonder the country is (lied) said to go bankrupt and always in huge debt.
The breakdown is very much breathtaking, for the sight of hardship allowance will continue to leave you dazed, the hearing of entertament allowance might make your eardrums reverbrating, the vehicle maintaince and motor vehicle allowances will leave you lost with and in dictionaries trying to find the meanings and differences of these terms, the several gratuity will make you ponder if you need pair of glasses or not, the newspapers allowance will make you ask yourself if these guys are reading the whole books in the world, if they are trying to build the world’s best library or may be they are on their way to earn Phds or even professorship.
This extravagancy by government has made Nigeria the most wasteful country in the world, has made Nigeria public offices the highest paying in the world even turning U.S president’s annual salary ($400,000) into peanut. For only on constituency allowance a Nigeria senator earns over $1.7million annually while a rep. member earns over $1.2million annually. One annoying thing is that this constituency allowance has never been spent by any senator or rep. in their various constituencies and wards. I once heard a senator said provision of basic amenities and co are responsibilities of the executives alone while his (theirs) is to make laws.
The legislature arm of government is the most arm where the interests of the people are well represented by each facet representives. This arm is meant to serve as a democratic watchdog on behalf of the populace, to check and balance other arms of government but, the unfortunate has been what Nigerians are experiencing for the legislature arm seems to be the citadel of corruption in the Nation. The legislative arm has made rubbish out of democracy. It has preyed on tax payers money. So far, the said lavishing of public funds is only on the legislative side, one will want to imagine how darker other arms will be, for a thief can not catch another thief especially if both know themselves ugly secrets thus check and balance has turned ‘cheques and balance’.
My mind ponders on the N18000 minimum wage that is being fought for by the masses and I discover that only callous beings are said to be our representatives. Out of the said 45m quaterly over 20000workers can be paid with this money from just 1 senator…
Public services are meant to serve the people but in our case the people become servants or slaves to public officers.
For reasonable change to come to our great Nation, the government needs to cut her wasteful spendings, know the essence of public responsibilities plus our individual self to say NO to illegal and detrimental behaviour. We should all do things for the larger society and always let the society to our preference rather than our selfish selves.
NIGERIA SHALL BE GREAT.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
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