The CD, in its reaction, said the N13.5m running cost could employ over 100 graduates in the country. The CD President, Usman Abdul, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the huge earnings by the senators contributed to the bastardisation of the economy. He said, “You can take good care of over 100 graduates from a senator’s salary. The legislature should deliberate on the abject poverty and unemployment in the country.” Also speaking, Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, said Sani must be commended for his courage. Ogunye said, “What Senator Shehu Sani said has confirmed the long-held fears of Nigerians that Nigerian legislators, both at the state and national levels, have been short-changing Nigerians. “They are not expected to use that elevated position to serve their own interest at the expense of public interest. They are not expected to allow their self-consideration to override their commitment to abiding by the law.” The Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Monday Ubani, said Nigerians must demand a review of the lawmakers’ earnings. Ubani, “It means that Nigerians have not been getting a fair deal from our legislators. If a single person will be earning that kind of money in a country where the minimum wage is N18,000; something has to be done. We need to insist on a review of these jumbo allowances.” The Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said Nigerians had a right to be displeased because they had not been getting a fair deal from the lawmakers. Adeniran said, “The outcry wouldn’t have been if the legislators have been living up to the expectation of their constituents. Nigerians don’t see the lawmakers as people who are representing their interest.” Falana said Sani’s revelation had proved that Nigerian legislators were the highest paid in the world. Falana, in a statement on Sunday, said, “Apart from the monthly package of N13.5m, each senator is given the opportunity to execute constituency projects to the tune of N200m per annum. However, the disclosure made by Senator Sani does not cover the allowances for cars, housing, wardrobe and furniture running to several millions of naira approved for each senator.” But the Senate said there was nothing new in what Sani said. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, in a statement said the figures Sani disclosed were in the public domain. “Senator Shehu Sani, on the salaries and funds for running of offices of Senators, did not disclose anything new as the figures he gave out about running cost of the offices of senators were contained in various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly, which has been made public,” the statement said. Also, the House of Representatives on Sunday said the issue of the total earnings of legislators had been “over-flogged” in Nigeria. To Receive News Alert On WhatsApp, Add 08027397554; For Adverts Enquiries, Whatsapp 08027397554, Send Articles & News Stories To editor@skytrendnews.com. READ ALSO! Between GoDaddy And Namecheap: Making The Best Choice For Domain Name Registrar READ ALSO! Google Developing New Tools To Enhance Article Search For News Publishers On Subscription READ ALSO! The Hurdles Nigerian Youths Must Cross By 2019, By Dele Momodu READ ALSO! The Internet’s Future Lies With Its Next Billion Users — Sundar Pichai, Google CEO READ ALSO! Nigerian Filmmaker, Zuriel Oduwole Makes Forbes List Of 100 Most Influential African Women READ ALSO! Woman Marries Her Son After Getting Pregnant For Him READ ALSO! Smartphone Sales Fall As Samsung, Apple Consolidate Market Share READ ALSO! The Smart CEO: Top 5 Websites To Get Cheap Domain Name Registration ]]>