[size=14pt]Reps Plan to ambush Bankole [/size]
By Festus Owete
May 31, 2010 12:56AM

Tomorrow, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole, and his deputy, Usman Nafada may face their toughest battle yet, as members of the House square up to press for a raise in their quarterly allowances. The angry lawmakers will also be insisting that Mr Bankole and members of his team explain how the closed-door discussion they held on the matter, three weeks ago, was leaked to the media.

Members said the reports gave the impression that lawmakers were insensitive to the economic situation of the country, and portrayed Mr. Bankole as a prudent leader. Mr. Bankole was away at the last sitting when the matter came up for discussion but will be in charge of the proceedings tomorrow.

Last week, the papers were awash with reports that the representatives want the entire capital budget of the House converted into additional allowances for them, thus raising their quarterly take from N27.2 million each to N42 million. If the Speaker accedes to this request, the total amount for allowances will come to N15.1 billion.

Who is the leak?

At the resumption of the plenary session last Tuesday, a member, Independence Ogunewe demanded for an executive session to discuss the source of the publications, but Mr Nafada disagreed and urged him to make his complaint openly or see him in the office. At the executive session which was subsequently convened, aggrieved members accused the leadership of leaking the discussion on the allowances to the media. Mr Nafada was said to have pleaded for understanding until the Speaker returned.

NEXT source, who refused to be named said at the weekend that the lawmakers will still demand that the leadership accounts for the leak of a meeting held behind closed doors which ended with everyone agreeing not to speak of it to the media.

It was gathered that members will request for another executive session this week to discuss the matter as part of the pressure on the Speaker to bow to their request. However, the aggrieved members are being careful to avoid unnecessary antagonism as they pressure the Speaker to yield to their demand.

“This matter has not actually ended as you people are suggesting, because I am aware that some of our colleagues are still warming up for another executive session to discuss it,” the source said. “You know that Bankole was not present at our executive session on Tuesday (last week) and so he has not been confronted directly. We will still bring up this matter. Our demand for increase in allowances is justified.”

Minister envy

Part of the grouse of the lawmakers is that ministers, who did not win elections, are allegedly collecting allowances close to N80 million quarterly. It was learnt that the same reason informed the demand by senators to have their allowances increased to between N50 million and N100 million quarterly.

Our source said as part of the move to make the Speaker bow to their wishes, the lawmakers are planning to dig up sundry issues, including the decision of the leadership to purchase certain items which were neither necessary nor purchased at the right price. It was learnt that members are not happy that items such as foot mats, torches, and palm tops were bought at exorbitant prices when more critical items remain in bad shape.

Bankole baulks

But Mr Bankole however appears unmoved by this resort to subtle blackmail. Although he was said to have apologised over the media reports, insisting that he did not instigate them, he was reluctant to approve the new allowances because the move may backfire someday.

The Speaker is said to be afraid that he will somehow be made to account for such an illegal action, and a mischievous member may even drag him to the anti-graft agency over the matter once there is a crisis in the House.

The House spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh and the Speaker’s media aide, Musa Ebomhiana could not be immediately reached for comment. When contacted, Idowu Bakare, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, merely said, “I thought the matter is over,” and refused to speak further.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission is the only body empowered by law to fix allowances for the lawmakers. Mr Bankole is apparently not willing to play into the hands of the lawmakers as he allegedly did on the N2.3 billion car purchase in 2008, which was later used against him by some members.

On the orders of late President Umaru Yar’Adua in February last year, the revenue commission reviewed downwards, the salaries and allowances of the legislators, alongside those of other political office holders.

Mr Yar’Adua predicated his order on the global meltdown and unprecedented economic crisis. The commission had only cut down the allowances of the lawmakers, leaving their salaries intact.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5574330-146/reps_plan_to_ambush_bankole_.csp

Nigeria is the only nation on earth where 100% of the legislators are millionaires, and become so within 1 year of stealing office. Even the states are aping the behavior of the National Assemblage of Thieves.  Our country is the grip of common thugs, murderers, child-molesters and assorted omo-alatas. It will remain in their grip until we develop the spine to do as they do in Thailand. Why will they stop at a 68% salary increase? In a few years, if the country still exists, they'll all be billionaires, And why not? We engage in absolutely no civic action, so they never really see our anger. Or feel it. In a country where we still have little children hawking bread and plantain in the streets, these vermin are buying SUVs for themselves to visit their constituents rather than ensuring the roads are decent;  the sheer irony would be laughable if it didn't make you want to cry. God will only help us if we care enough to help ourselves.

Nigerian Democratic Maxim: TO WIN/RIG/STEAL AN ELECTION IS TO BE MADE FOR LIFE.

Days are coming, says the people of Nigeria, they will call on their Naira mountains, fall on us that we may die, but the Naira mountains will refuse them. They will all be confined to the prisons and that's where the grinding of their teeth will be. They will carry human waste for work, but there would be no one paying them - for so smelly is their act of selfishness in the noses of the people.

I weep for Nigeria. Words fail me.

In a civilized country, rep and senators won't dare ask for something like that because they know they would face backlash from their constituents, but since this is Nigeria and election are won by bribery, anything goes. Until the people start holding congress accountable, things like this will happen.

I think these reps all mayke more than the President of the United States, ye paripa

Everybody wants a raise while the country is suffering from hunger.

Selfish useless hungry ppl. Can you imagine. N42 bil.

It's unfortunate, but it's situations like this that motivate one colonel who's stuck in a bush somewhere go crazy; crazy enough to assemble 20 of his colleagues and find 100 men from the infantry supported by tanks to march straight into abuja and remain there for a decade. This thing must be resisted cos there's a breaking point for every one no matter how docile they are.

The other day a friend of mine in arguing against the zoning suggested that the military should come back and give the politicians the Jerry Rawlings style; i was quite dumbfounded. Today however I'm beginning to think in that direction, these people want to bankrupt this nation and yet there is nothing to show for it.

otokx:

The other day a friend of mine in arguing against the zoning suggested that the military should come back and give the politicians the Jerry Rawlings style; i was quite dumbfounded. Today however I'm beginning to think in that direction, these people want to bankrupt this nation and yet there is nothing to show for it.

You and your friend need to keep the military out of our political mess. The only ones that can do anything about this political marauders are the people, not the military - we have gone over this pathway over and over again, the military only turns out worse, OK!

Abacha followed IBB's act by hiding billions of $ in Swiss accounts and that didn't include his spending money. IBB spent $12.4 billion like his pocket change.

Unless Nigerians are gluttons for punishment the word "military" should not be in the same sentence as anything concerning resolving our political problems. It is easier to deal with civilian thieves than with military thieves. The fact that Nigerians cannot do anything about our political marauders testify to our weakness.

And yet Nigeria now owes 4 Trillion in debt?