Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay has revealed that a legislator in the National Assembly, Abuja, Nigeria, earns far more than the United States President, Barack Obama.
This revelation was made by Sagay on Tuesday when he delivered a lecture to mark the 47th birthday celebration of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele held at the Eko FM Multi-Purpose Hall, Ikeja, Lagos.
In the lecture, Sagay lamented that a Nigerian Senator, in 2009 earned N240 million in salaries and allowances annually while his House of Representatives counterpart earned N203.8 million annually.
“In other words, a senator earned about $1.7 million and a member of the House of Representatives earned $1.45 million per annum,” he said.
He said this shows that a legislator in Nigeria earns more than the US President, Obama, who earns $400, 000 per annum and British Prime Minister, 190, 000 pounds, while a senator in Nigeria, one of the poorest countries in the world, earns $1.7 million.
Sagay added that a legislator in Nigeria also earns more than his counterpart in the US and the United Kingdom.
“By contrast, an American senator earns $174,000 and a U.K. Parliamentarian earns about $64, 000 per annum,” he said. “In spite of the dismal standard of living, poverty in the country and low per capita income of Nigeria, Nigerian legislators in Abuja have awarded themselves the highest salaries and allowances in the world. In other words, the Nigerian lawmakers in Abuja are the highest paid in the world,” lamented Sagay.
According to Sagay, “in 2009, the Federal legislators received a total of N102.8 billion comprising N11.8 billion as salaries and N90.96 billion as allowances. Is the tax payer getting value for this colossal sum in the current democratic dispensation?
Should five percent of Nigeria’s annual budget be spent on 109 senators and 360 House of Representatives members? “In other words, should 469 Nigerians gulp five percent of our budget, leaving the remaining 150 million of us to receive about N1, 000 ($7) each per annum?”
“The Senate President is reported to be earning N250 million quarterly or N83.33 million per month, while his deputy earns N50 million per month. The Senate has allocated N1.02 billion as quarterly allowance to its 10 principal officers, known collectively as Senate leadership. “Each of the other principal officers earns N78 million every three months or N26 million per month. This tragic state of affairs is clearly unsustainable. Those engaged in this feeding frenzy are endangering our democracy,” he lamented.
The constitutional lawyer also faulted the proposed constitutional amendment by the National Assembly, saying that the body was not yet ready to truly amend the constitution. He said that a proposed amendment of section 65 seeking to raise the minimum qualification for membership of the legislatures from school certificate to a diploma level was rejected by the State House of Assembly.
Also, Sagay said that section 66 (1) which disqualified persons with a history of crime, bankruptcy, among others from contesting elections was deleted, thus paving way in the future for people with criminal records to be elected into public office.
Sagay, however, contended that the greatest authority, which a legislature wielded in a democratic society, is not its legal powers as contained in the constitution, but its moral authority, as the conscience of the nation and protector of the sovereignty of the people.
“Thus, members of the legislature must be men and women of high moral authority and integrity. The legislatures must suspend from their membership, anyone who by his conduct, past or present, tarnishes the image of that Assembly or puts its credibility in doubt.
“If the legislature is to hold the executive to a minimum standard of accountability, transparency and honesty, it must itself purify its own systems, processes and membership; otherwise, no one will take it seriously,” he said.
Posted: at 2-08-2010 06:27 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
But wow....hmm!! Even PM in the UK gets paid less than some managers sef. Yet they don't do jack shit. People using their brains to better a country should be paid more than selfish backward leaders in Nigeria.
Posted: at 2-08-2010 06:50 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
Ok. How many times had Obam's cloth been torn? I think Nigerian lagislatures fights more than him and that is why they earn more than him also.
Once you don't vote your ideals... that has serious undermining affects. It erodes the moral basis of our democracy and civilization, and stands opposite to who you think you`re & what you think you know.
Oh! I forgot this is no site for factual todays Nigeria but fun
Posted: at 3-08-2010 04:29 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Ok. How many times had Obam's cloth been torn? I think Nigerian lagislatures fights more than him and that is why they earn more than him also.
Once you don't vote your ideals... that has serious undermining affects. It erodes the moral basis of our democracy and civilization, and stands opposite to who you think you`re & what you think you know.
Oh! I forgot this is no site for factual todays Nigeria but fun
If you say so!?
IN ZAKA FADI, FADI GASKIYA, KOMAI TA JA MA A YI MAKA
Posted: at 4-08-2010 04:26 PM (13 years ago) | Hero
We are a Nation whose foundation is laid with injustice right from our criminal amalgamation in 1914 to the first republican government,that is the reason why the system we operate is faulty in all it's ramifications.That our Nations federal legislatures earn more than USA president is a signal of insensitivity on their part and an arrogant display of legislative powers and goes a long way to show that the party which controls the majority in the upper chambers is also insensitive to the pitiable state of Nigeria economy. Nigerians should as a matter of urgency vote out PDP in 2010 elections cos they care less about our situation .
Posted: at 6-08-2010 03:55 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
We are a Nation whose foundation is laid with injustice right from our criminal amalgamation in 1914 to the first republican government,that is the reason why the system we operate is faulty in all it's ramifications.That our Nations federal legislatures earn more than USA president is a signal of insensitivity on their part and an arrogant display of legislative powers and goes a long way to show that the party which controls the majority in the upper chambers is also insensitive to the pitiable state of Nigeria economy. Nigerians should as a matter of urgency vote out PDP in 2010 elections cos they care less about our situation .
I wonder if the sectionalist (PDP) cares at all.
But isn`t this national terrorism? Isn`t it horrifying enough?
These are men and women with O-Level certificates (bought GCEes) and others with degrees from different home & abroad universities but never saw the four-Walls of the university. These are men, who cannot introduce themselves with good English sentences,rather, with a combination of English & pidgin-English. Men that are yet to learn, how to present themselves to the public. Men, who could not interpret the a law they made by themselves in 2009 but yet earn more than people, who exhaust their intellectual & political acumen on daily basis for the betterment of their societies.
What a shame to my dear state; Nigeria
Posted: at 6-08-2010 04:32 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Bazemaster at 6-08-2010 11:08 PM (13 years ago) (m)
So poster, wetin you want me to do by posting this?
I report from ma BAZEHOOD, niggaz feeling ma BAZESWAG 'cos it's hooded like my nigga HOODEDSWAG coming from BAZESQUAD in da BAZESTUDIOS UNITED.... I AM BAZEMASTER
Posted: at 6-08-2010 11:08 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
they are in heaven so we are roasting in hell let them continue lavishing awa money. money that meant for the public. group of men sitting one side flexing it they will go to there officeses and just creat i a bill a bill of money and pass to the nation and call the bill one name or the other the public should chuck their eyez on this matters if not if this continue i think befor 10yrs coming nigeria will be one of the poorrest country in the world.............
Posted: at 8-08-2010 09:05 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie
D problem wit 9ja is dat we youths are so weak and pathetic.we shld have made dis country a hell 4 those bastards.dats why i commend those militants even they overdo it sumtime
Here comes d Great King Xtervaganza
Posted: at 8-08-2010 12:10 PM (13 years ago) | Addicted Hero
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