Akpabio and Abbass
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to disclose the “exact amount of monthly running costs” allocated to members of the National Assembly.
The organisation also requested that the leaders provide an account of the “spending details of any such running costs.”
This was revealed in a statement dated 17th August 2024, signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, a copy of which was obtained by PUNCH Online on Sunday, 18th August 2024.
SERAP’s request follows recent controversy surrounding the ‘jumbo pay’ received by each senator.
A former senator, Shehu Sani, had claimed that senators receive a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to a N750,000 salary — a claim faulted by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
However, in the statement, SERAP explained that its request was intended to “promptly end the alleged practice by the National Assembly of fixing its salaries, allowances, and running costs, in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international obligations.”
SERAP advised the NASS leaders to also put an end to the “alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers,” and added that any “alleged misuse or mismanagement of the running costs” should be reported to the appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution. Punch
