The Senate has expressed shock at comments attributed to Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to the effect that members of the National Assembly fix their salaries and allowances beyond what was approved by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu stated this on Sunday while responding to Obasanjo’s assertion that it was immoral for lawmakers in Nigeria’s parliament to fix allocate funds to themselves under the guise of salaries and allowances while at the same time collecting sundry funds from the executive branch.
Obasanjo said: “In your case, with all due respect, you’re not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you give yourself, new paper allowances.
“You give yourself all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral.
“You’re doing it, the Senate is doing it, and you beat your chest. In some cases, the executive gives you what you’re not entitled to. You all got N200 million.”
However Adaramodu said the Senate is “petrified by the tattling story” of determining its salaries and receiving a special fiscal package from the Presidency.
He said: “This sordid and telltale assertion was amplified during a visit of a group of House of Representatives members to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“To straighten the records, the Senate receives only the salary allocated constitutionally by the Revenue Mobilization Fiscal Allocation Commission.
“We challenge anyone privileged, either in qualified or absolute position to bring forth any contrary fact.
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“The Senators or the National Assembly do not and cannot fix their salaries. Any suggestions contrary is uncharitable and satanic. It’s only an attempt to crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.
“It’s pertinent to inform the unsuspecting public that no Senator has received any monetary patronage from the Presidency. The mischievously touted consistency projects are not for the legislators.
“They are only suggested and nominated by the Legislators by the practice in other Democracies worldwide while the executive arm awards the contracts to qualified contractors and ensures the implementation of the projects through its respective Ministries and agencies.
“And the amount varies depending on the number of constituencies in each state of the federation. It’s merely a contribution to the Federal budget to ensure that every nook and cranny of Nigeria feels Federal presence.
“We are actually in a season of political pontificating when irreverent scaremongering takes prominence.”
He added that the 10th Senate is a responsible and responsive chamber, hence would not do anything that can “harm the economy and growth of Nigeria, it thus receives only what the relevant agency of government constitutionally allocates to it.
“And would never solicit for extra ludicrous perks from the other arms of Government.”
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