A gaggle of protesting youths Thursday stormed the National Assembly to protest the salaries and allowances of members, saying their annual finances of N150 billion was outrageous.
As said by the group’s spokesperson, Mr. Yemi Adamolekun, the N150 billion annual finances for 469 lawmakers was unjustifiable amid the prevalent abject poverty ravaging the nation.
She additionally alleged that many of the federal lawmakers have fully alienated themselves from their constituents, whom she mentioned, voted them into workplace by intentionally avoiding contacts with them.
The protesters additionally expressed displeasure that the lawmakers had allegedly didn't make public their votes on the current structure modification train, notably on the controversial Section 29 (4B) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
However, whereas addressing the protesters, Senate’s spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe, challenged the youths to a debate on the wage of lawmakers.
As said by him, most Nigerians, particularly the youths, had been both ignorant or misinformed, saying the protesters erred by considering that the National Assembly consisted of solely 469 lawmakers.
He defined that the annual finances of the National Assembly went past the salaries and allowances of lawmakers to incorporate the expenditure of civil servants and different ancillary our bodies that constituted the establishment.
He additionally pledged to make public his pay slips to right perceived inaccurate beliefs that lawmakers’ earnings had been big.
“The National Assembly budget is just three per cent of the national budget; three per cent of the other two arms of government. The waste is from the 97 per cent represented by the other two arms of government,” he said.
He additionally debunked claims by the protesters that lawmakers had distanced themselves from their constituents.
“All Nigerians have a representative in the National Assembly. My constituents in Abia South senatorial district, which I represent, know me and I am accountable to them. It is the responsibility of Nigerians to go to each of their representatives in the National Assembly and ask for their constituency contacts. You should know those who are representing you; my constituents have my contact.”
“Also, there is nothing hidden about the constitution review exercise. The recording of the voting is open. There is nothing hidden because it was done openly. All the media houses covering the legislature have the details. There is nothing to hide in the National Assembly,” he said.
Also talking, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who said the grievances of the protesters weren't misplaced, also said that he was a part of the method that led to the evolvement of Freedom of Information (FoI) Act as a former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). He urged Nigerians to hunt proper data from the suitable quarters.
“The protests are in order as people must be allowed to express their views. I appreciate it when people ask questions as it is part of the quest for good governance. But I can tell you that none of us is earning beyond N1 million,” he said.
On their protest on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adeyemi instructed the protesters that ASUU ought to perceive that the majority of their calls for couldn't be instantly met, including: “We have appropriated the 2013 budget and it is being implemented. We are even approaching the end of the fiscal year. Whatever they want can only be incorporated in 2014 Appropriation.”