Money Spree: Senators receive N23.4m, Reps N 17m each

The 8th National Assembly is yet to pass a bill but has spent N 12 , 967 , 600, 000 in
two months to maintain its members , who were inaugurated on June 9, The Nation
Newspaper has gathered .
The senators and reps who were at loggerhead over who emerges leaders of the red
and green chambers all went mute when it came to sharing money .
The senators ,
numbering 109 got N 36 . 4 million each while the 360 members of the House of
Representatives received N 25 million each.
The Senators and the representatives were first paid N 10 million each in June to
‘cushion’ the difficulty of settling down in Abuja .
The amount, which was to cover their expenses on housing , transport and furniture ,
cost the public about N 4 . 6billion.
Last month under a pro- rata arrangement for quarterly allowance covering June,
Senators got N 13. 4 million each and representatives, N 7million each.
Since their inauguration, the legislators have gone on recess three times and they are
yet to pass a bill since they began sitting in June, ” The Nation Newspaper noted in a
report .
Their inauguration was followed by the controversial emergence of Senators Bukola
Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy President .
Yakubu Dogara and Lasun Yusuf were also picked as House Speaker and Deputy
Speaker against the wish of their party , the All Progressives Congress (APC ) .
Last Wednesday , senators disagreed on the recommendation by the Finance
Committee to cut their salary and allowances .
The James Manager - led committee had recommended a 30 per cent cut which, if
accepted, would have saved tax payers about N 2billion yearly.
This translates to N 2 million reduction from the N 51 million quarterly allowances
enjoyed under the 7th Senate or about N 874 million saved from each year’ s four
quarterly allowances alone .
Besides, the representatives’ reduction of their quarterly allowances from N 39 million to
N 33 million will save the nation about N 2. 1 billion, made up of N 6million reduction in
each member ’s allowances over four quarters .
Some Nigerians have criticised the Senators for rejecting the pay cut proposal even
after President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have resolved to
slash their salary by 50 per cent.









































Culled from TheNation