Lawmakers reject 40% pay
cut
14/07/2011 01:26:00 Yusuf Alli
Senators and Representatives, hit
by a 40 per cent pay cut,
yesterday decided to ask President
Goodluck Jonathan how the
Executive has cut its overhead.
They are also weighing whether to
reject the cut, until the Executive
makes its austerity measures
public.
But the National Assembly
leadership said it might not go
back on the 40 per cent cut.
Although Senators and members
of the House have been paid
N8million per head for
accommodation and furniture,
they are angry that Ministers are
earning more than that.
A Senator from the South, who
spoke in confidence with our
correspondent after a caucus
meeting, said: “If we are talking of
cut in overhead, why is the
Executive silent on jumbo
allowances of its Ministers, Special
Advisers and Special Assistants?
“Our position is that before the 40
per cent cut in overhead can
become effective, the President
must also be forthcoming by
laying the cards on the table on
how the executive has cut its
overhead.
“What we have at the moment is
that lawmakers are being made
scapegoats.
“Once the Executive does not cut
cost, we will certainly revolt and
insist on the restoration of the 40
per cent.”
Another Senator said: “At our own
meeting, we took note of the fact
that the 40 per cent cut may affect
interaction between the lawmakers
and their senatorial districts and
constituencies.
“But we queried the rationale
behind the decision of the National
Assembly leadership for accepting
the cost cut without asking the
Executive to take the lead.
“We also decided to mount
pressure on the President of the
Senate, Chief David Mark and the
Speaker of the House, Aminu
Tambuwal, to approach the
Executive for its austerity
measures.”
A member of the House of
Representatives said: “In our case,
the cut is about 63 per cent, which
is a terrible development.
“Some of us are weighing options
on what to do, if the Executive
does not cut cost. We want to see
clear evidence of what the
President and his cabinet have
done to reduce overhead.”
Another member of the House
from the Northwest said: “This cut
in overhead is an acid test for
National Assembly leadership. If it
does not cut across board, they
should be prepared for rough
days ahead.
“We want a detailed memo from
the Executive on how it has
reduced its overhead. We have
fulfilled our own part of the
bargain but the Executive is foot-
dragging.”
By the 2011 budget, the National
Assembly is expected to spend
N111, 244,416,513, although it had
initially jacked up its estimate to
N150billion before resolving the
grey areas with the Executive.
The National Assembly budget
includes Personnel Cost
(N17,974,915,979); Overhead Cost
(N90,055,657,984); Recurrent
(N108,030,573,962) and Capital
(N3,213,842,551)
The allowances that might be
affected are recurrent (N108,
030,573,962) and overhead cost
(N90, 055,657,984), such as
travelling, entertainment, oversight
to constituencies and projects,
medical vacation, and so on.