The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to disclose the “exact amount of monthly running costs” allotted to members of the National Assembly.
SERAP requested the spending details of any of such running costs as well.
This information was made known in a statement dated August 17, 2024, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director of SERAP, and made available to newsmen.
The group’s demand is coming on the heels of the recent controversy surrounding the salary of Senators.
A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, had stated that Senators receive over N13 million monthly, but the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission faulted his claim.
However, in its statement, SERAP urged the NASS leadership 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”.
It also called 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 anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution where there is relevant admissible evidence”.
SERAP also urged the NASS leadership 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”.
“We are concerned about the practice by the lawmakers of fixing their salaries, allowances, and running costs, as well as the opacity and the spending of millions of naira in running costs by lawmakers,” SERAP said.
“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 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 said.
