NEWS:Nigerian senators earn more than Trump, UK PM

The Initiator and Chairman , Movement for Nigeria ’ s Total Transformation , Chief Areoye Oyebola , has decried the non -responsiveness of Nigerian federal lawmakers to the widespread call for the downward review of their “monumental salaries and allowances .”
According to Oyebola , the recent criticism of the federal legislators by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption , Prof . Itse Sagay ( SAN ) , was just one of many criticisms that had trailed the lawmakers over the years but to which they had turned deaf ears.
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He recalled that he had raised the same issue in a publication , tagged, “Grave Issues Nigeria Must Tackle,” which was publicly presented at a gathering that had in attendance eminent Nigerians such as a former Lagos State Governor , Babatunde Fashola ( SAN ); human rights lawyer , Femi Falana ( SAN ); and Prof . Pat Utomi.
Oyebola had , in the presentation , decried what he described as the insensitivity of the lawmakers , who he said , were living large in the midst of widespread poverty in the country .
He noted then that the earnings of the United States of America ’s President were far lower than what a Nigerian lawmaker took home .
He had said , “It is also strange , unthinkable and very disheartening that a senator , not minding the grinding poverty of Nigerians , earns $ 1. 7m a year , which is far higher than the $ 400 ,000 yearly income of the United States ’ President , whose stupendous country is the richest in the world. Even a member of the House of Representatives also earns more than the American President . What a tragic and pathetic situation !
“Worse still , each of our National Assembly members earns more than the British Prime Minister , while the pay of a member of Ghana’s unicameral legislature is a very small fraction of our House of Representatives ’ member jumb8o pay of more than N10 m in a month, let alone the monumental quarterly allowances that have led to serious public outcry .
“The multi -million naira earned by the leadership of the Senate and  bow House of Representatives even worse, more outrageous and mind -boggling .”
Oyebola noted that despite their modest pay , compared to the Nigerian federal lawmakers , the legislators in Ghana worked harder and “have minimal absenteeism,” while they had also done much to sustain their country ’s democracy , “which is a model for many African countries .”
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He said the Ghanaian lawmakers were also more sensitive to the realities in their country , recalling that an attempt by them to have a raise in earnings in 2009 was immediately jettisoned following a public outcry .
Oyebola called for a 90 per cent cut in the earnings of Nigerian elected public officials , saying with that they would still be richer than their counterparts in the US and the UK .
He said , “ As suggested below, for the National Assembly, the President , ministers , state governors , state legislators , chairmen of local governments and councillors should have their pay and allowances reduced to 10 per cent of their present earnings. If effected , each senator ’s present earnings of N15 m a month will be reduced to N1 .5 m or N 18 m a year . A similar 90 per cent reduction should be effected from the pay of members of the House of Representatives .”
According to him , this is the only way to ensure that politics would no longer be a matter of do -or -die

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