Following the controversy surrounding the salary, allowance, and running costs of senators in the country, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to tell Nigerians the “exact amount of monthly running costs” allocated to members of the National Assembly.
SERAP also tasked Akpabio and Speaker Abbas to give an account of the “spending details of any such running costs.”
News About Nigeria reports that the organisation made the demand in a statement dated August 17, 2024, which was signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and made available to newsmen on Sunday.
The statement partly reads, “We are concerned about the practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs, and the opacity in the spending of millions of naira in running costs by lawmakers. The constitutional oath of office of lawmakers requires them to ensure transparency and accountability in the exact amounts of salaries, allowances, and running costs they receive. The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances, and running costs.”
“Nigerians have a right to scrutinise how their lawmakers spend their tax money and the commonwealth. Nigerians also have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials, including lawmakers. The allegations also clearly amount to members taking advantage of their entrusted public positions. Ending the reported practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs would improve public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the National Assembly. It would show that the Senate and House of Representatives under your leadership can focus on serving the public interest of Nigerians rather than looking after themselves.”
