(Published in the Nigerian Compass on June 1, 2010)
I had to scream last Friday when the Nigerian Compass newspaper dazzled its readers, on its front page, with a screaming headline; 'Reps cut Bankole's quarterly allowance to N100m'. My scream, though internally, could not immediately be explained. It gallivanted between two reasons. I could not decipher whether it was due to my ignorance of the much our assembly men take home or the amount involved?but after critically analysing these issues, I came to realise that both issues were responsible for my cry. This country is richly poor, or poorly rich. Put it as you like, as much money as Nigeria has, as much poverty in the land.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has his three months allowance cut from N147 million and his Deputy, Usman Nafada, from N100 million to N80 million. All members are entitled to N42 million each for the same period of three months. Senators are also playing their card to have their allowances jacked up to N100 million. A breakdown, which I did to confirm the shock I went through last Friday, shows that if a member of House of Representatives earns N42 million, equivalent $280, 000, per quarter, he invariably earns $1, 120, 000 a year. For the Speaker, N100 million translates to approximately $667, 000 per a quarter. His annual allowance would then be $2.7 million. The Deputy Speaker will pocket, with the same calculation, approximately $2.2 million per annum. Let us do it this way, if representatives could earn these sums, how much then do governors, ministers, senators, the Vice President and the President earn as total packages? How then can you persuade anybody not to contest elections with a do-or-die attitude.
Whereas, a report last week had it that American President, Barack Obama takes home about $400 thousand dollars a year, and each United States' Senator is being paid $130,000 annually, which translates to about N19.5 million, and these US lawmakers sleep in their respective chambers daily debating on issues important to their country and passing thousands of bills and amendments into laws, Nigerian House of Representatives member takes home about $1.2 million dollars a year, and does nothing than fight for seniority with the Senators. The US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, earns $223,500 annually.
Take note of Section 65, (1) of the 1999 Constitution; subject to the provisions of section 66 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified for election as a member of the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 35 years; and the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 30 years. (2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if (a) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. This is what I want point out. Is it not outrageous to give over a million dollars to an office that requires a school certificate holders while professors are being locked out of classrooms for demanding less than $40 thousand per annum.
In furtherance to my statistics and calculations, if a representative pockets $1.2 million per annum, then all the 360 members would have pocketed about a $432 million dollars which translates to about N65 billion. This is just the amount to run the house members just for one year. In Canada, a Member of Parliament earn $147,700 a year.
Nigerian politicians could easily be said to be selfish, heartless and wicked. When it comes to what goes to their pockets, they compare themselves with 'those of their overseas' counterparts, but when it borders on what the masses get, they remember and argue that Nigeria is a poor third world country! Nigerian politician has none of his children in public schools, doesn't attend public hospitals, builds borehole but never drinks even 'pure water', doesn't stay in public ares but GRAs, travels every now and then to go and enjoy what politicians like them had built but never comes back to do same to his country, and 'chops' every little incentive that could have better the lives of his people. What a wicked specie Nigerian politicians are! This is country where people die in hospitals due to the inability to to deposit, sometimes, as low as N5, 000 or even less buy drugs; where people die every minute on our bad roads; where graduates are without jobs and are forced into criminal activities and prostitution. This country is sick, the politicians are wicked and demented and the citizens are weak.
In a related development, The Nation also reported that not less than ten former governors were found to have stolen $250 billion while in office in what ECOWAS said represents the highest corruption index in Africa. These figures are scary and crazy. With unemployment at its highest, insecurity blossoming, armed robbery and kidnapping booming, prostitution profiting, little or no power generation, poverty written all over the country, infant and maternal mortality rate on the increase, life expectancy shortening, numerous other health challenges uncared for, poor learning facilities in schools and universities, low per capita income and numerous other challenges facing the country, it is highly irresponsible for these politicians to continue in their ways and equally embarrassing for we citizen to continue to look like 'look-man' and not rise up and shoot down this government to make way for a better tomorrow. It has been done elsewhere, why not here in Nigeria. Our destiny is in our hands and we should not forget that Nigeria's conscience, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is no more. Its now or never!
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has his three months allowance cut from N147 million and his Deputy, Usman Nafada, from N100 million to N80 million. All members are entitled to N42 million each for the same period of three months. Senators are also playing their card to have their allowances jacked up to N100 million. A breakdown, which I did to confirm the shock I went through last Friday, shows that if a member of House of Representatives earns N42 million, equivalent $280, 000, per quarter, he invariably earns $1, 120, 000 a year. For the Speaker, N100 million translates to approximately $667, 000 per a quarter. His annual allowance would then be $2.7 million. The Deputy Speaker will pocket, with the same calculation, approximately $2.2 million per annum. Let us do it this way, if representatives could earn these sums, how much then do governors, ministers, senators, the Vice President and the President earn as total packages? How then can you persuade anybody not to contest elections with a do-or-die attitude.
Whereas, a report last week had it that American President, Barack Obama takes home about $400 thousand dollars a year, and each United States' Senator is being paid $130,000 annually, which translates to about N19.5 million, and these US lawmakers sleep in their respective chambers daily debating on issues important to their country and passing thousands of bills and amendments into laws, Nigerian House of Representatives member takes home about $1.2 million dollars a year, and does nothing than fight for seniority with the Senators. The US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, earns $223,500 annually.
Take note of Section 65, (1) of the 1999 Constitution; subject to the provisions of section 66 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified for election as a member of the Senate, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 35 years; and the House of Representatives, if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 30 years. (2) A person shall be qualified for election under subsection (1) of this section if (a) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. This is what I want point out. Is it not outrageous to give over a million dollars to an office that requires a school certificate holders while professors are being locked out of classrooms for demanding less than $40 thousand per annum.
In furtherance to my statistics and calculations, if a representative pockets $1.2 million per annum, then all the 360 members would have pocketed about a $432 million dollars which translates to about N65 billion. This is just the amount to run the house members just for one year. In Canada, a Member of Parliament earn $147,700 a year.
Nigerian politicians could easily be said to be selfish, heartless and wicked. When it comes to what goes to their pockets, they compare themselves with 'those of their overseas' counterparts, but when it borders on what the masses get, they remember and argue that Nigeria is a poor third world country! Nigerian politician has none of his children in public schools, doesn't attend public hospitals, builds borehole but never drinks even 'pure water', doesn't stay in public ares but GRAs, travels every now and then to go and enjoy what politicians like them had built but never comes back to do same to his country, and 'chops' every little incentive that could have better the lives of his people. What a wicked specie Nigerian politicians are! This is country where people die in hospitals due to the inability to to deposit, sometimes, as low as N5, 000 or even less buy drugs; where people die every minute on our bad roads; where graduates are without jobs and are forced into criminal activities and prostitution. This country is sick, the politicians are wicked and demented and the citizens are weak.
In a related development, The Nation also reported that not less than ten former governors were found to have stolen $250 billion while in office in what ECOWAS said represents the highest corruption index in Africa. These figures are scary and crazy. With unemployment at its highest, insecurity blossoming, armed robbery and kidnapping booming, prostitution profiting, little or no power generation, poverty written all over the country, infant and maternal mortality rate on the increase, life expectancy shortening, numerous other health challenges uncared for, poor learning facilities in schools and universities, low per capita income and numerous other challenges facing the country, it is highly irresponsible for these politicians to continue in their ways and equally embarrassing for we citizen to continue to look like 'look-man' and not rise up and shoot down this government to make way for a better tomorrow. It has been done elsewhere, why not here in Nigeria. Our destiny is in our hands and we should not forget that Nigeria's conscience, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is no more. Its now or never!
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