I was alarmed when I read that Nigeria’s newly inaugurated National Assembly is set to receive a whopping 8.64 billion naira ($43 million) for clothes and shoes!
Described as a wardrobe allowance, the amount will be split between both chambers of the National Assembly with the 109 members of the Senate receiving 21.5 million naira each while the 360 members of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, will each receive 17.5 million naira.
Aside from a wardrobe allowance, the National Assembly will also receive other furniture and car loan allowances. The furniture allowance will see 107 senators receive 650 million naira while 358 House of Representatives members will receive total of 2 billion naira. The lawmakers can also access car loans with senators possibly provided with 867 million naira and House of Representatives members provided with 2.8 billion naira in car loans. While ordinary members of both chambers get these allowances, two principal officers from each chamber, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House and their deputies will have furniture provided by the Federal Government.
Thanks to exorbitant budgets like this, Nigerian lawmakers currently rank among the world’s highest paid lawmakers, earning around $160,000 annually based on current exchange rates- which is more than what British lawmakers earn!
All these from our tax!
My question: Should our lawmakers earn so much considering the fact that the average Nigerian lives below the poverty line? Should so much be spent on clothes while many Nigerians barely have enough to feed their households; with so many youths unemployed? As a developing country, should our government not care more about enriching the people than their pockets?
For millions of Nigerians who went to polls and voted for a new government hoping for change, there is a desperate need for policy reforms that will ensure such excessive waste of citizens’ tax is brought to an end.
Many Nigerians have spoken out against the budget on social media platforms like Twitter:
The FG intends to pay poor & unemployed people N5000/month. We already overpay underemployed people in the National Assembly
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) June 15, 2015
N9 billion. Are they going to start a National Assembly Cloth Factory with it?
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) June 16, 2015
RT @ColinUdoh: If you feel as upset as I do about the allowances at the National Assembly, please sign this petition https://t.co/vOpfNATyz2
— Ebuka Obi-Uchendu (@Ebuka) June 17, 2015
E wo!! | @TheScoopNg: “NASS budget is not excessive; it’s only 2.67% of national budget” – Dep. Speaker Lasun http://t.co/uYzjrjp2fB” MT — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) June 16, 2015
@bellanaija what do they want to wear again dt dy av not worn before. After what we went through in the past administration. #Change please!
— Oby Lexie Okeke (@itxlexie) June 17, 2015
Join the conversation! What do you think about this budget? Do you think it is too much or the National assembly deserve such an exorbitant amount for wardrobe maintenance?
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