A former Minister of Education, Obi Ezekwesili, has urged Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, to organise a public debate about the allowances and salaries earned by federal legislators.
This is just as the senator representing Bayelsa-East senatorial district, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce, backed calls for the reduction in the salaries and allowances of legislators.
They said this while reacting to reports that an N8.64bn wardrobe allowance had been earmarked for legislators in the 8th assembly.
Ezekwesili, on her official Twitter handle on Tuesday, asked Saraki and Dogara, to hold a joint public hearing on the lawmakers’ salaries.
Ezekwesili recalled that in 2013, she raised the alarm over the National Assembly’s budget but that she became a subject of rebuke by the lawmakers.
She said, “In 2013, I raised issues about the National Assembly’s budget and they insulted me. Now that we have Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as Speaker, they should host the debate on National Assembly members’ salaries.
“Should our political elite continue to lack a sense of proportionality considering the extremely tough days and years ahead?”
Ezekwesili also shared a 2013 chart published by The Economist which showed that Nigerian lawmakers were the highest paid in the world.
Also, Murray-Bruce, on his official Twitter handle, decried the jumbo pay for public servants.
