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Sen Sani reveals how much Nigerian senators earn

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One secret many Nigerian senators hold very close to their hearts and always will avoid commenting on has been revealed by the outspoken senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani.

According to Sani, the lawmakers of the upper chamber of the National Assembly pocket N13.5 million monthly as “running cost.”

The Kaduna State senator, who was quoted to have said this in an interview with TheNews, added that the running cost was not inclusive of a N700, 000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances which the senators also receive.

In the details of the interview published by SaharaReporters, Sani said, “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month.”

He went further to explain, “But what I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750, 000.”

Speaking on the controversial constituency projects for federal lawmakers, the lawmaker said, “The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

“You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.”

Adding that the method of executing the projects was laden with fraud, Sani argued, “Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.

“So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries.”

Speaking further, he said it would be preferable if members of the National Assembly are not involved in constituency projects.

“There are issues that we need to understand. First, I don’t believe that members of the National or even state assemblies should be involved in carrying out what is called constituency projects,” he said in the interview.

“When people are elected into the National Assembly, they should just be involved in law making, raising motions, bills and also performing oversight functions. But we live in a society where people cannot differentiate between the legislators and the executive.

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“When the people come to you, they want you to build roads, dig boreholes, build hospitals, schools, give money, pay school fees for them. Now, if we have a society in which people will stop asking legislators to do those things, then there is no need (for the allowances) But funny enough, if you are very active in the National Assembly in making laws and you don’t embark on projects in your constituency, you cannot in any way be appreciated by the people you are there to serve because the electorates in United States are different from the electorates in the United States and Africa,” he said.

This is apparently the first time a Nigerian senator would be revealing what the senators earn ever since Nigerians have been calling on the lawmakers to be transparent enough and make public the total amount they earn monthly.

 

 

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