The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to “immediately disclose the exact amount of the monthly running costs, amounting to millions of naira, currently being paid to and received by members of the National Assembly, along with the spending details of these funds.”
SERAP also urged them to “promptly end the alleged practice by the National Assembly of fixing its own salaries, allowances and running costs, in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], and the country’s international obligations”.
SERAP urged them “to end the alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers, and to refer the alleged misuse or mismanagement of the running costs to appropriate anticorruption agencies for investigation and prosecution where there is relevant admissible evidence”.
SERAP urged them to “promptly disclose the total amount of running costs that have so far been paid to and received by the lawmakers and to ensure the return of any misused or mismanaged public funds”.
In the letter dated 17 August 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “We are concerned about the practice by the lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances and running costs, and the opacity and in the spending of millions of naira in running costs by lawmakers.
“The constitutional oath of office of lawmakers requires them to ensure transparency and accountability in the exact amounts of salaries, allowances and running costs they receive.”
The letter reads in part: “The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution clearly make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its own salaries, allowances and running costs.
“The allegations that members of the National Assembly are fixing their own salaries, allowances and running costs are entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the constitutional oath of office and the object and purpose of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and other members of the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.”
“It is a travesty and a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to fix their own salaries, allowances and running costs.”
“By exercising strong and effective leadership in this matter, the National Assembly can show Nigerians that the legislative body is a proper and accountable watchdog that represents and protects the public interest, and is able to hold itself to account in the management of public resources,” it said.
The organisation recalled that Senator Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South Senatorial District, recently disclosed in an interview with BBC Hausa that each Nigerian senator earns at least N21 million monthly in running costs, salaries, and allowances.
It said, “Mr Sumaila reportedly said, ‘My monthly salary is less than N1 million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000. Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each senator gets N21 million every month as running cost.’
“According to reports, former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently alleged that the lawmakers fix their own salaries and allowances, contrary to the recommendation of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).”