Deputy Speaker Under Fire For Describing Lawmakers’ Salary As “Too Small”

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has come under fire for saying that the salary of Nigerian federal lawmakers is too small compared to the enormous demands of their jobs.

The deputy speaker brought up the issue of the salary of federal lawmakers at a time that the Nigerian polity has been awash with the extravagance of the parliamentarians as reflected in the N160 million vehicles bought for each of them.

He spoke on Channels TV on Monday night, February 26.

Dismissing calls for their salaries to be slashed, Kalu said

“At the moment, talking about the salary of the National Assembly. I have said this over and again, it is not as much as people think. Salary is different from allowance, which is meant to do the jobs our constituents have sent us to do. Nobody is allowed to touch allowances. It is the salary that belongs to you. Allowances have no subheadings for which they are made for. If you use it wrongly, when you are retiring it, you will be sanctioned for that.

“So talking about the salaries of the National Assembly, it is a far cry from what is supposed to be. And I can assure you that even if we reduce it by 50 per cent or 80 per cent, it will not really impact what the Nigerian lawmakers should be earning, which does not go in tandem with the economic situation of the country.

“I can assure you that based on economic indices at the moment, inflation rate and the rest of them, the amount members of the National Assembly receive cannot actually take them home to do their their jobs.

Kalu lamented that the salaries of the National Assembly, “is a far cry from what is supposed to be. And I can assure you that even if we reduce it by 50 per cent or 80 per cent, it will not really impact what the Nigerian lawmakers should be earning, which does not go in tandem with the economic situation of the country.

“I can assure you that based on economic indices at the moment, inflation rate and the rest of them, the amount members of the National Assembly receive cannot actually take them home to do their their jobs in their various constituencies.”

Considering the cost of transport, he said, “running constituency offices and the number of maintaining aides who are supposed to have you achieve what the mandate of that office demands, it is not a discussion that will add value to the crisis we are faced with.

“But I can assure you they will be willing to adjust. If that is what will move Nigeria to the next level, why not? After all, we did not send ourselves there. We were voted in by the constituents.”

See reactions from netizens on Instagram on the assertion by Kalu on the salary of Nigerian federal lawmakers as captured by

jplanner, “What responsibility exactly…nonsense talk”

osinachibia123, “Ordinary Deputy!!”

ruggedybaba said, “Then resign”

joyfullyjoycee, “Please tell us your job schedule. This is the right time to merge senate and Rep.”

mis_adaobi Benjamin said, “kalu ndi mmuo kukwa gi ibi”

nwokeezioma2 Great Said, “Time for salary swap with legitimate civil servants”

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