Following the massive outcry by Nigerians over the funding of the National Assembly, the House of Representatives has declared its readiness to ensure a drastic cut in its salaries and allowances.
The House of Representatives has said it is also ready to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war, Vanguard reports.
This was disclosed to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday, August 23, by the chairman of the Ad-hoc committee on media and public affairs, Hon. Mohammed Sani Zorro.
According to Zorro, who represents Gumel/Gagarawa/Mai Gatari/Sule Tankarkar Federal Constituency of Jigawa State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the decision of the House to review the funding of its activities was in submission to the wishes of Nigerians.
He explained that there was a need to streamline the funding of the House’s activities in line with best practices across the world and Nigeria’s economic fortunes, which was the reason the House set up the Dr Clement Nwankwo Committee.
Zorro said they would abide by whatever recommendations the Nwankwo committee makes as regards the oversight function allowance, the sitting allowance, the constituency allowance and all aspects of funding of the House of Representatives.
“This review will also result in right sizing the funding of the various aspects of our activities. We have already put a mechanism in motion to achieve that. It may also result in the drastic cut of our finances be they salaries, allowances and running cost. We are conscious of our integrity; we will lead by example,” the lawmaker said.
He added that they were ready to follow in the footsteps of President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and some governors, who have elected to have their salaries cut by 50 per cent, saying, “We can no longer ignore the popular wishes of the Nigerian people who elected us in the first place. Even if the measures that we will consider will inconvenience us, we will rather make that sacrifice and respect the views of the Nigerian people once and for all.”
Speaking on Buhari’s anti-corruption war, he said all members of the House, irrespective of party affiliations were on the same page with the president on the change agenda and ready to give him the necessary legislative backing to implement the agenda.
Zorro said: “We are ready to support unconditionally the war being waged against corruption as spearheaded by the executive arm of government under President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I can tell you this on behalf of the House. Whoever is averse to the war against corruption in Nigeria is not a patriot. All patriotic people, whether in the National Assembly or outside of it, must support this war because of the implication of the degenerative level of our own corruption, which has compromised everything that Nigeria used to be.
“Once the National Assembly discovers that this anti-corruption pursuit is tilted unfairly, may be against a person or group of persons, they will query it. But as of now, we are not entertaining any fear. We will support it, even if that corruption probe will involve the National Assembly. We just have to clean up this country because corruption actually reduces our humanity to the barest level.”
About two weeks back, plans by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, to reduce the salaries and allowances of senators hit a brick wall as members of the Senate suspended consideration of the report of its finance committee, which was set up to review the finance of the Senate for the purposes of cutting the cost of government through a downward review of the salaries and allowances of senators.
Some Nigerians had expressed displeasure over the rejection of a pay cut by members of the Senate. They also criticised the senators for taking a six-weeks recess.
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