He made this revelation on Wednesday in Abuja at the Open Week of the House of Representatives.
He stressed that the earnings of members of the National Assembly have been on the front burner for a while, even though their allowances cannot last them for more than three days.
The former lawmaker noted that the misconception of huge salaries and allowances by Nigerians has given the National Assembly a negative image where they are called thieves even at public fora.
Dogara noted: “While I was Speaker, my salary was less than N400,000. I don’t know if it has been increased now. My total imprest was N25 million and I told my accountant to open a separate account for the impress and I never once took any money out of that account. Everything that came into that account was used to cater to the needs of constituents.
“My accountant complained of the level of demand on the account and I told him if the money there is finished, borrow, when money comes, you return it to where you had taken money from.
“I am saying this so Nigerians will give their legislatures breathing space and know that the narrative is not true about members’ pay. We all know that democracy is expensive and if we think that it is too expensive, maybe we should ask our political scientists to develop for us a local model that will be cheaper for us.”
Dogara believed that the time had come for the National Assembly to throw open its finances to dispel the insinuation that the legislators were taking a huge amount of money monthly.
You are all greedy and corrupt lots. Even with this humongous monthly remuneration, you guys, under various adhoc and standing committees, harass CEOs of govt agencies and private companies for billions as bribe and employment for your drug-taking kids who never come to work daily (these two reasons are why various multinational coys are leaving Nig, apart from the high energy costs and taxes/levies). The judgement of God is already visiting most of you with illnesses and your drug taking kids.
ReplyDeleteSpots that can never erased by anything?
ReplyDeleteThe money is in oversight, ex governors and their pay for post schemes, appropriation, televised dramas of investigation and other such games.
ReplyDeleteFrom the days of the Ogboni/Osugbo to the Greek and Roman parliaments, to the houses of lords and commons, to the American Congress, parliament must be paid😂. Those vexed over mere salaries are not knowledgeable enough about financial inflows.