Senate Leader wants removal of privileges of principal officers By NAN on August 18, 2015 Senate Leader Mohammed Ndume on Tuesday called for removal of privileges attached to principal officers at the National Assembly. Ndume made the call when he spoke with newsmen in Maiduguri. He said the removal of the privileges would eliminate the leadership struggle among legislators. “I am championing the issue of downgrading the position of presiding officers at the National Assembly especially the Senate President so as to truly be the first among equals. “What causes leadership crisis is because of the excessive privileges attached to the offices’’, he said. Ndume added that once the privileges attached to positions were removed, fighting among legislators for the offices would be greatly reduced. “If the leadership is truly one among the equals, you will find it difficult even to get somebody fighting to be the senate president. “Somehow, you see a senator out of the 109 others suddenly acquiring enormous privileges just because of being elected as senate president’’, he said. He reiterated that all the privileges should be removed and the senate president should just preside at the Assembly: no more, no less. “He should not be given more previleges than his colleagues.” Ndume, however, said that the senate president can be entitled to some allowances. “Although he might be given some responsibility allowances, the Senate president or presiding officers should not be given excessive privileges like having escorts, long convoys of government vehicles, dozens of armed security men, among others,. “If you say that he is number three man in the country, so we must protect him. What about millions of Nigerians who do not even have food to eat.

Better
Seems some people in the 8th assembly are thinking in line with millions of other Nigerians.
Too much wastage in government and I think its time we begin to make govt unattractive but a call to service and not privileges

This buhari administration will be a blockbuster in NASS. Let's watch out.

I'm beginning to like this Ndume, the alleged terrorism sponsor agitating for good course

Nice move by our new Senate Leader Ali Ndume, he reminds me of Senator Ndoma Egba of 7th assembly.....missed him though!!

it v bin long we used to hear dis, pls put it in action not trying to arouse d masses interest

Op source

Baba, Wey ur source? All this senate leader talk na wash sha. Ben Murray Bruce talk pass this one. That reminds me! Where's that mumu albino? It's over 2 months and no bill has been introduced or sponsored by him o

Abegi all these politicians and their personal grievances. Am sure it was because Ndume is not the one there that made him champion reduction of privileges. Else as senate leader, instead of calling and pleading with the senators to heed the motion of the senate president and reduce their allowances so that the poor people he said are unable to feed can be fed he is here talking about cutting down of principal officer's privileges. We ain't no fools and we know that most of these politicians don,t love us. If he is for real, then let him show us by stripping himself off the allowances and only be living on half his salary, then we will believe him and know that he really has the interest of the masses at heart.