The House of Representatives has taken the bull by the horns and released copies of the payslips of the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, from October 2016 to March 2017.
Details of the payslips indicate that Honourable Dogara earns an average of 346, 577 Naira monthly after deductions.
Following the face-off between the Speaker and the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, the House said it will voluntarily publish its budget in the 2017 budget.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, accused Governor El-Rufai of trying to undermine and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role.
Honourable Namdas made the allegation while briefing reporters on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“We wish to advise the Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai to concentrate his efforts in governing Kaduna State and stop undermining and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role in nation building.
“The Kaduna State Governor claimed that in 2016, the National Assembly budget for its 469 members was larger than the entire budget of several Nigerian States. This statement is patently misleading and a terrible display of ignorance and falsehood, or a deliberate attempt to blackmail the parliament.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Assembly budget includes the salaries, allowances, expenditure and running cost of 469 members; it includes the salaries, allowances of about 3,000 legislative aides; it includes the salaries and allowances, equipment and maintenance of about 5000 staff in the bureaucracy.
“Indeed, the National Assembly Budget is about 2% of the National Budget. Yes, the National Assembly has voluntarily agreed to publish its Budget from 2017, as a responsible and accountable democratic institution. What happens to 98% of the National Budget should engage our attention also. We are sure that if 10% of the public scrutiny National Assembly receives is also devoted to those spending the other 98%, Nigeria would be better for it,” he said.
Details of the payslips indicate that Honourable Dogara earns an average of 346, 577 Naira monthly after deductions.
Following the face-off between the Speaker and the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, the House said it will voluntarily publish its budget in the 2017 budget.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Honourable Abdulrazak Namdas, accused Governor El-Rufai of trying to undermine and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role.
Honourable Namdas made the allegation while briefing reporters on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“We wish to advise the Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai to concentrate his efforts in governing Kaduna State and stop undermining and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role in nation building.
“The Kaduna State Governor claimed that in 2016, the National Assembly budget for its 469 members was larger than the entire budget of several Nigerian States. This statement is patently misleading and a terrible display of ignorance and falsehood, or a deliberate attempt to blackmail the parliament.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Assembly budget includes the salaries, allowances, expenditure and running cost of 469 members; it includes the salaries, allowances of about 3,000 legislative aides; it includes the salaries and allowances, equipment and maintenance of about 5000 staff in the bureaucracy.
“Indeed, the National Assembly Budget is about 2% of the National Budget. Yes, the National Assembly has voluntarily agreed to publish its Budget from 2017, as a responsible and accountable democratic institution. What happens to 98% of the National Budget should engage our attention also. We are sure that if 10% of the public scrutiny National Assembly receives is also devoted to those spending the other 98%, Nigeria would be better for it,” he said.
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