National Assembly Members Worse Than Armed Robbers – Sagay
By Eni Olukotun
A frontline constitutional lawyer, Prof Itse Sagay , SAN has passed a damning verdict on members of the Nigeria’s National Assembly over the outrageous jumbo they allocated to themselves describing them as being worse than armed robbers.
Sagay who spoke in an exclusive interview The Complete News in Lagos recently said with the whopping N29million cumulative take-home of each Federal legislator is a clear evidence that the lawmakers are ‘Gangsters without conscience’.
“What the National Assembly is doing is nothing but outright robbery. They are robbing our treasury and resources. They are like gangsters without conscience. The National Assembly from the information available is spending an average of 29million per month on each members”, the Professor of law lamented. “The National Assembly members are not better than armed robbers’, he added.
Sagay also disclosed that the former salary of each lawmaker was N1 million before additional N28million was added to it.
“Their former salary was like 1 million. They are adding about 28million to it every month! The breakdown is now in public domain. We have done a lot research and analysis on what they are earning. An average of N150b is what they are getting every year then divide that by their number you will get what each member is getting” he dislosed.
The Senior lawyer also submitted that if Nigerians got to know what the Principal officers of the national Assembly are earning it could lead to revolution.
“Then if you know what the principal officers of the National Assembly are earning, it could lead to revolution in anger. They are conscienceless criminals. They are spending Nigeria’s money mercilessly and unremorsefully”.
Sagay further argued that slashing the jumbo pay of the lawmakers would be a major test for the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari.
“How to save Nigerians from the callous monsters who are consuming our resources is going to be a major test for the incoming Government of General Muhammadu Buhari..
“Remember when ex-Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido confronted them, they could not say anything. The ex-Governor said they are consuming one quarter of the recurrent allocation.
When reminded that Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC was responsible for fixing the wages of the lawmakers and not the legislators, Sagay suspected complicity of RMFC to the alleged impunity urging probe into the activities of the body to ascertain what their officials are earning.
His words, “Yes, I read an article written by a prolific columnist, Dele Sobowale who said the RMAFC also have a hand in the whole thing. I will like to know what RMAFC are also earning because if you see something like that, you will know they are partners in crime.
“They must have allocated hefty sums to themselves too. For anybody or agency to say what members of the National Assembly are earning is alright, such agency must have things they are covering up.
“They have all manner of allowances numbering about 50. What each member gets as Newspapers allowance is enough to maintain a top civil servant for a year. The items are frivolous and irresponsible”.
There is no disputing the fact that prof. Sagay has spoken the truth.but the legislators will no go along with his shocking comments.as a matter of fact what the lawmakers are earning is too outrageous.but come rain come shine one day things will get into its order.
This must be in the country of thieves
For sure, this must be in a country of theives
We most stone them when they are home