The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to disclose the exact amount of monthly running costs received by members of the National Assembly.
The Rights institution also asked Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to reveal how these funds are being spent.
In its appeal, SERAP emphasized the need to end the alleged practice of the National Assembly setting its salaries, allowances, and running costs.
The organization argued that the practice contradicts the Nigerian Constitution and international obligations.
SERAP further called for an end to depositing running costs directly into lawmakers’ personal accounts and recommended that appropriate anti-corruption agencies investigate any misuse or mismanagement of these funds.
In a letter dated August 17, 2024, signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization expressed concern over the lawmakers’ practice of determining their own compensation and the lack of transparency surrounding the expenditure of millions of naira in running costs.
The statement partly read, “We are concerned about the practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs, and the opacity 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.
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“The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances, and running costs.”
SERAP noted that due accountability and the return of any “misused or mismanaged running costs collected by” NASS members would “build trust in democratic institutions and strengthen the rule of law,” allowing lawmakers to effectively discharge their “constitutional and statutory responsibilities,” among others.
The statement continued, “Nigerians have a right to scrutinise how their lawmakers spend their tax money and the commonwealth. Nigerians also have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials, including lawmakers.
“The allegations also clearly amount to members taking advantage of their entrusted public positions. Ending the reported practice by lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs would improve public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the National Assembly.
“It would show that the Senate and House of Representatives under your leadership can focus on serving the public interest of Nigerians rather than looking after themselves.”
The organisation noted that failure to act on its recommendations “within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter” would be met with “appropriate legal actions to compel you and other members of the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.”
Last Wednesday, the lawmaker representing Kano South, Sumaila Kawu, revealed that he earns over N21 million monthly as a total take-home package.
This revelation comes barely 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission stated that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
Kawu had said, “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.”
