news
update
|
SENATORS
REVIEW BASIC SALARY DOWNWARD |
|
newsdiaryonline
Tuesday May 19,2009 |
“Every Senator’s basic pay will be
brought down by ten percent and that is
the mandate that we have given to our
sub-committee working on it. They have
been working quietly; we asked them to
communicate it to the Revenue
Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal
Commission so that as they are
considering other sectors they
will also take up our own.” these were
the words of he Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Information and Media,
Senator Ayogu Eze as he revealed on
Tuesday on Tuesday that Senators have
agreed to a 10
percent pay cut. The basic monthly
salary of each Senator is N2,
484,242.50. Eze said ““We looked at the
issue of pay cut and the Senate has
authorized –we have a small committee
looking at the legal technicalities of
bringing this about and the committee is
liaising with the Revenue Mobilization,
Allocation and Fiscal
Commission and we have given them the
mandate to cut our basic pay by ten
percent. The Revenue Mobilization
Allocation and Fiscal Commission had
late in 2008, increased the monthly
salaries and allowances of all public
officers in line with its Constitutional
powers. In the last increase, the
monthly basic salary of a senator was
increased from N993, 697 to N2.48m
monthly.
President Yar‘Adua had in a letter to
the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and
Fiscal Commission had directed the
commission to embark on a downward
review of salaries of political office
holders
Eze however, declined to mention the
members of the Senate committee working
with the RMAFC on the salary cut. When
informed that the President had
suggested a 20 percent cut, Eze said the
President only spoke for the executive
arm of government. Eze said the
legislature had the constitutional
powers to regulate itself especially on
matters which concerned it. He added,
“What informed our decision (to accept a
pay cut) is our desire as members of the
National Assembly elected by the people
to protect the interest and aspirations
of our people because we know that this
salary cut will be deployed to providing
facilities for the people-in providing
amenities for the people we
represent.“That is why we have seen the
wisdom in the proposition by Mr.
President and we are happy to submit
ourselves that our basic salaries should
be cut to cushion the impact of the
global meltdown.”But the fact remains
that the senate has not gone far enough
in cutting the 20 percent of their
pay.In the light of scandals rocking the
national assembly now, this new step may
be met with condemnation from the public
Allowances which were also increased but
left untouched include: vehicle
maintenance from 30 per cent to 75 per
cent, entertainment from 10 per cent to
30 per cent. utility allowance went up
from 20 per cent to 30 per cent.All
legislators are also entitled to a
wardrobe allowance of 25 per cent,
personal assistant allowance is 25 per
cent; domestic staff allowance is 75 per
cent, recess allowance 10 per cent while
newspapers allowance is 15 per cent (of
their basic pay).
|
|
|
|
