Lawmakers’ pay not jumbo, I earned N25.4m – Ex-Speaker Dogara

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said he earned a total allowance of N25m and N400,000 monthly salary as leader of the 8th lower legislative chamber.

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain said the clarification had become necessary given the public perception that federal lawmakers earn huge salaries and emoluments.

Speaking in Abuja at a two-day open week public engagement organised by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Dogara said it was important Nigerians allow their representatives to work and limit the financial demands on them.

According to Dogara the misconception of huge salaries and allowances by Nigerians has given the National Assembly a negative image, leading to them being called thieves at public events.

He said, “While I was Speaker, my salary was N400,000 and my total allowance was N25m. I told my accountant to open a separate account for the allowances and I never for once took any money out of that account. Everything that came into that account was used to cater to the needs of my constituents.

“My accountant complained of the level of demand on the account and I told him if the money there finished, borrow, and when money comes into it, you return to where you had taken money from.

“I am saying this so Nigerians will give their legislators a breathing space and know that the narrative is not true about members’ pay.”

Also speaking, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, pledged support for the establishment of state police, citing the worsening security situation across the country.

He said, “When I left the 9th Assembly as a senator, there were some very important pieces of legislation that I thought needed to be looked into by the 10th Assembly. Number one is the creation of state police but I am happy that the House of Representatives is leading the charge for the creation of state police.

“One of the most important areas we need to look into is the issues of insecurity in our country and that can only be resolved when we collectively agree that we must create state police in Nigeria. I commend you for your leadership role and I can assure you that we will be there to support you.”

He also called on the federal lawmakers to revisit the Fire Arms Act, saying, “In Nigeria today, we have the highest number of illegal arms in circulation. According to the United Nations, we have over 350m illicit arms illegally in circulation in the West Africa sub-region. More than 70 per cent of those illicit arms are domiciled in Nigeria and I think it is important to look into the Fire Arms Act because it is obsolete and not in line with global best practice.”

He also demanded action on the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing the number in Nigeria as the highest in the world, even as he called for financial inclusion for the vulnerable lot in society.

“We have about 65 per cent of people that are living below the poverty line. So, standing here to make excuses about our salaries and allowances will not be entertained by Nigerians. What we should do is to reduce the level of poverty, and unemployment and most importantly, come up with robust legislation that can address these challenges,” Sani said.