Bizarre earnings of senators

 Hence they cannot justify their 13.5m monthly with 200m they get quarterly, do they deserve to continue to represent our interest at the senate in embarking oversight functions and superintending over affairs of the nation? Do they still have the moral right to continue to ratify our budgets especially where padding is always the case? […]

 Hence they cannot justify their 13.5m monthly with 200m they get quarterly, do they deserve to continue to represent our interest at the senate in embarking oversight functions and superintending over affairs of the nation?

Do they still have the moral right to continue to ratify our budgets especially where padding is always the case? Are we really not in a big shithole that there has not been any mass protests in the country to demand total cancellation of jumbo pay to our legislators where workers are no longer paid as at when due with high level of unemployment in the country without no move by government to ensure we have a justifiable social security system to the people with high level of insecurity in the land?  What about poor pensioners dying in droves waiting for their pensions to be paid? Is it not time we demand the sacking of current head of Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission for allocating salaries and emoluments the lawmakers cannot even justify?  And for how long shall we continue to remain in a country where anything goes just because the citizens are in deep pool of docility. 

It is quiet benumbing to hear that President Buhari had refused to collect his full salary but decided on half salary which is not up to 2m as evinced by his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo which he had to also dance to the same tune while billions are being wasted on our lawmakers while the citizens further remain pauperized.  What a shame of a nation? 

As it is now, the citizens have to reorganize, remobilize, demand, confront and renegotiate on the way forward with our leaders before 2019 gets here as it is not only Boko Haram they have to negotiate with.  It will remain very sadistic if all these shortcomings are not addressed before the next election.

Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, MAN, LCC and other civil society groups   including business organizations had challenged Lagos State Government over its obnoxious tax law and as a result of which Governor Ambode had relaxed to status quo, so when are we also going to match to National Assembly and demand our lawmakers to by themselves scrap their jumbo pay if indeed they are there for our interests?  Now, Professor Sagay, OBJ and this writer have been vindicated for criticizing the needless jumbo pay accrued to lawmakers every month and quarterly as exposed by Senator Shehu Sani. Finally, Senator Sani said he made the revelation of their earnings for credibility. Credibility? I do not think so for now but conscience for good governance did the magic.

Emeka Anozie, Abuja