JUMBO PAY: Buhari defends federal lawmakers

Members of the National Assembly got the most unusual support on Wednesday when President Muhammadu Buhari defended them, saying Nigerians are wrong to think federal lawmakers are highly overpaid for doing nothing.

The president also noted that critics fail to see the enormous work the lawmakers are doing for the country because they don’t trust them.

Buhari said this in Abuja on Wednesday when the House of Representatives launched The Green Chamber Magazine, a publication by the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

The President, who was represented by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said the parliamentarians did not share money without working.

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He said: “Hitherto, the public perception of the National Assembly is that of a bicameral legislature where overly comfortable and highly-overpaid members merely stuff wads of currency notes into their pockets for little work done. This wrong perception has resulted partly from the lack of understanding of the enormous work of lawmakers, especially outside the glare of television cameras.

“But with a magazine that will be the authoritative source of anything that goes on in the House – motions being moved, bills being passed, national issues being discussed and constituency projects – the public will be better informed on the activities of the House, and this will in turn reflect in an improved public perception.

“In addition, it will help the House to tell its own story, rather than relying on others to take charge of their narrative. It is said that no one can tell your story better than you.”

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