Someone shared this picture recently on Whatsapp
and ask how much will be required to clothe them. Seriously, it’s time we set
our priorities right in this country. We are not asking government to be
dashing people money, we are only asking for policies that will create an
environment where entrepreneur can survive. Where farmers will be rewarded for
their labour.
Below is
the breakdown of the monthly earnings of a Nigerian senator:
NOTE: ALL ARE IN NAIRA
NOTE: ALL ARE IN NAIRA
Basic Salary – 2,484, 245.50
Hardship Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1, 242, 122.70
Constituency allowance (200% of B.S) – 4, 968, 509.00
Furniture Allowance (300% of B.S) – 7, 452,736.50
Newspapers Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1, 242, 122.70
Wardrobe Allowance (25% of B.S) – 621, 061.37
Recess Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248, 424.55
Accommodation (200% of B.S) – 4, 968, 509.00
Utilities (30% of B.S) – 828, 081.83
Domestic Staff (75% of B.S) – 1, 863, 184.12
Entertainment (30% of B.S) – 828, 081.83
Personal Assistance (25% of B.S) – 621, 061.37
Vehicle Maintenance Allowance (75% of B.S) – 1, 863, 184.12
Leave Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248, 424.55
Severance gratuity (300% of B.S) – 7, 452, 736.50
Motor Vehicle Allowance (400% of B.S) – 9, 936 ,982.00 – Every Four Years
Senators’ salary per month – N 2, 456, 647.7
Hardship Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1, 242, 122.70
Constituency allowance (200% of B.S) – 4, 968, 509.00
Furniture Allowance (300% of B.S) – 7, 452,736.50
Newspapers Allowance (50% of B.S) – 1, 242, 122.70
Wardrobe Allowance (25% of B.S) – 621, 061.37
Recess Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248, 424.55
Accommodation (200% of B.S) – 4, 968, 509.00
Utilities (30% of B.S) – 828, 081.83
Domestic Staff (75% of B.S) – 1, 863, 184.12
Entertainment (30% of B.S) – 828, 081.83
Personal Assistance (25% of B.S) – 621, 061.37
Vehicle Maintenance Allowance (75% of B.S) – 1, 863, 184.12
Leave Allowance (10% of B.S) – 248, 424.55
Severance gratuity (300% of B.S) – 7, 452, 736.50
Motor Vehicle Allowance (400% of B.S) – 9, 936 ,982.00 – Every Four Years
Senators’ salary per month – N 2, 456, 647.7
Total = N 29, 479, 749 x 109 Senators
Grand Total = N 3, 264, 329, 264.10
The breakdown above does not include: the quarterly
unaccountable constituency allowances (N35million
for each House of Rep. member. N48
million for each senator), their individual convoy of tinted bulletproofs
dozens of brand new Jeeps, some unnamed backyard moneys, some big and fat handy
envelopes nor does it include ‘never to be known by the public’ moneys not to
talk of embezzlement and bribery etc.
From the breakdown one will immediately understand the reason why our politics is christened ‘DO OR DIE AFFAIR’ for the money seems enough for any insane senator, as it seems we have, to want to end his opponent breath at election. No wonder the senate president has turned his public post into a life affair stuff. No wonder senatorial and representative seats have turned hereditarily in nature for after the said 2 terms the seat should be left for relatives or children. No wonder we kept having boxers and wrestlers in the National Assembly instead of them representing the nation in several weight titles and championships. No wonder ‘serving’ the people is a must by some hypocrites i.e serving us among themselves. No wonder the word ‘politician’ is now a profession in our country.
From the breakdown one will immediately understand the reason why our politics is christened ‘DO OR DIE AFFAIR’ for the money seems enough for any insane senator, as it seems we have, to want to end his opponent breath at election. No wonder the senate president has turned his public post into a life affair stuff. No wonder senatorial and representative seats have turned hereditarily in nature for after the said 2 terms the seat should be left for relatives or children. No wonder we kept having boxers and wrestlers in the National Assembly instead of them representing the nation in several weight titles and championships. No wonder ‘serving’ the people is a must by some hypocrites i.e serving us among themselves. No wonder the word ‘politician’ is now a profession in our country.
No wonder the country is (lied) said to go
bankrupt and always in huge debt.
The breakdown is very much breathtaking, for the
sight of hardship allowance will continue to leave you dazed, the hearing of
entertainment allowance might make your eardrums reverberating, the vehicle maintenance
and motor vehicle allowances will leave you lost with and in dictionaries
trying to find the meanings and differences of these terms, the several
gratuity will make you ponder if you need pair of glasses or not, the
newspapers allowance will make you ask yourself if these guys are reading the
whole books in the world, if they are trying to build the world’s best library
or maybe they are on their way to earn Phds or even professorship.
This extravagancy by government has made Nigeria the most wasteful country in the world, has made Nigeria public offices the highest paying in the world even turning U.S president’s annual salary ($400,000) into peanut. For only on constituency allowance a Nigeria senator earns over $1.7million annually while a rep. member earns over $1.2million annually. One annoying thing is that this constituency allowance has never been spent by any senator or rep. in their various constituencies and wards. I once heard a senator said provision of basic amenities and co are responsibilities of the executives alone while his (theirs) is to make laws.
The legislature arm of government is the one where the interests of the people are well represented by each facet representatives. This arm is meant to serve as a democratic watchdog on behalf of the populace, to check and balance other arms of government but, the unfortunate has been what Nigerians are experiencing for the legislature arm seems to be the citadel of corruption in the Nation. The legislative arm has made rubbish out of democracy. It has preyed on tax payers’ money. So far, the said lavishing of public funds is only on the legislative side, one will want to imagine how darker other arms will be, for a thief cannot catch another thief especially if both know themselves ugly secrets thus check and balance has turned ‘check and balance’.
My mind ponders on the N18000 minimum wage that is being fought for by the masses and I discover that only callous beings are said to be our representatives. Out of the said 45m quarterly over 20,000workers can be paid with this money from just 1 senator…
Public services are meant to serve the people but in our case the people become servants or slaves to public officers.
For reasonable change to come to our great Nation, the government needs to cut her wasteful spending, know the essence of public responsibilities plus our individual self to say NO to illegal and detrimental behaviour. We should all do things for the larger society and always let the society to our preference rather than our selfish selves.
NIGERIA SHALL BE GREAT.
JAH BLESS NIGERIA.
Courtesy: weeklypostng.com
No comments:
Post a Comment