Jumbo salary: Lawmakers should make refund, TUC charges EFCC, ICPC

Posted by admin House, Legislature Sunday, June 12th, 2011

Following the revelation by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC) that it had no knowledge of the jumbo salary being collected by the National Assembly members and hordes of other political appointees, organized labour at the weekend expressed disappointment at the development and called for publication of the constitutionally approved emoluments and allowances of these categories of political office holders.

Besides labour insisted that all lawmakers, whether present or former, should be made to make a refund of the excess of monies collected but which were outside the approved statutory emolument and allowance because it amounts to a reap-off on the national economy.

Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) described as uncharitable that elected law makers could choose to approve monies for themselves illegally while the toiling masses are finding it hard to make ends meet.
It would be recalled that the Chairman of the RMAFC, Mr. Elias Mbam had at the height of the hues and cries over the scandalous increase in the allowances of members of the House of Representatives in the sixth National Assembly, which was funded by a loan taken by the House leadership, a development that has landed the former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole in the EFCC net.

TUC in a statement signed by its President General, Peter Esele and Secretary-General, John Kolawole said it was disturbed “over the recent revelation by RMAFC, that they have no knowledge of the controversial jumbo pay for members of the National Assembly and other political appointees that ranks our democracy among the most expensive system of government in the world. “According to him, the RMAFC does not have any information on any other emoluments and allowances for the lawmakers besides what was approved for them by the commission for the execution of their responsibilities, including the running cost N40 million for Senators and N28 million.

“By interpretation, what this revelation means is that there is a collective reap-off by a gang of people elected to make things easier for the masses, but who have turned around to deny the masses this privilege and milk the national treasury dry. This must be stopped. The country cannot grow economically when funds meant for capital projects that will drive national development are consumed by individuals and their cronies under the guise of law making. We definitely do not need such expensive law making at this stage of our crawling developmental history.

“We demand that RMAFC, EFCC and ICPC should rise above mere pronouncements and act fast by investigating this crime, publishing the constitutionally approved emoluments, prosecuting those found to have taken more than they are entitled to and look for ways to make law making less attractive and expensive.
“It is on record that these individuals and their cronies do not have any serious business investment in the country despite the huge amount they collect monthly; rather, they choose to spend these loots abroad through expensive holidays and other frivolities”, TUC maintained.

Therefore, TUC called on the seventh National Assembly to raise the bar on public probity and accountability by making public their salaries and other allowances, to ensure that the public anger about their jumbo salaries and allowances is reduced. The Congress argued that the jumbo pay was the major attraction why becoming a member of the National Assembly is on high demand and the reason for the high rate of politically motivated murders and crimes in our body politics.

-Sunwp_posts