SERAP TO LAWMAKERS: Return N13.5m you ‘illegally’ collected monthly as running cost

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called the leadership of the National Assembly to happily return the ‘illegal’ millions of Naira which each lawmaker takes home as running cost on monthly basis.

The group said that the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Yakubu Dogara, should “persuade their members to voluntarily return running costs and other allowances so far collected,” adding that the returned money should be used to establish a trust fund to improve investment in education and health.

SERAP made the call in response to the revelation by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) that the N13.5 million which National Assembly members is said to collect on monthly basis was illegal.

Each member of the House of Representatives also reportedly collects N10 million monthly as running cost.

But RMAFC, which is vested with constitutional powers to monitor the accruals into and disbursement of revenue from the federation, on Wednesday said that the payment is not covered by the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendments) Act 2008 governing emoluments of political office holders in the country.

According to the commission, only the management of National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) is in the position to provide answers on the matter.

But in a statement by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, SERAP said, “Under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the National Assembly cannot use its appropriation power for personal gain of lawmakers. The revelation that the National Assembly unilaterally increased their own allowances and running costs without any regard to due process of law constitutes a flagrant abuse of governmental powers for personal gain.

“The National Assembly would never be able to check abuses of power by the executive or perform important oversight functions if the lawmakers are looking after themselves rather than standing up for the citizens.”

The statement read in part: “A trust fund can supply health aid, educational support, economic empowerment, dignity and overall improved social welfare of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors of the population. This proposed trust fund can serve as one of the strategies for addressing the escalating crisis in our educational and health sectors, something which Bill Gates has discussed with the Nigerian authorities.

“Legislative powers are a means; the end is the liberty and prosperity of the citizens. The leadership of the National Assembly should therefore ensure that our lawmakers are more sensitive to the needs of Nigerians in the exercise of their legislative powers and that the powers are used to improve opportunities for the citizens, and access to quality education and adequate health for all Nigerians regardless of socio-economic status.

READ ALSO: More controversy as RMAFC says senators’ 13.5m monthly ‘running cost’ unknown to law

“To check against corruption, the leadership of the National Assembly should also urgently put in place a system of publishing an account of receipts and expenditures of members including on constituency projects, running costs and other allowances. Nigerians who pay the lawmakers ought to know in what manner the funds for the operation of the National Assembly are expended.

“Saraki and Dogara should take immediate steps to ensure the recovery and voluntary return of the ‘dirty money’; if they are to ensure that the Constitution’s integrity is not undermined by the evasion of political and legal accountability by the National Assembly. The trust funds would contribute to the efforts to improve investment in education and health for the greatest happiness of the greatest number.”

“Without accountability of our lawmakers, the country’s democratic project cannot function according to its constitutional design. By limiting the potential for the abuse of governmental power, the Nigerian Constitution protects individual liberty and requires all branches of government including the National Assembly to strive to improve their welfare and economic and social development and opportunities.”

 

 

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