Et tu, Brute Knowledge!
Folk it is no longer secret how much members of the House receive as salary under the Tambuwal’s speakership; N9M or $57,000 per month, or $684000 per year ; Under Bankole speakership, the 6th congress, they received N15M or $97,000 per month or $1164000 per year. Immediately below is what Nigeria Congressman receives as salary in a year. And following it is what a U S Congressman makes per year.
“The anti-Tambuwal lawmakers in the House are reported to have asked Tambuwal to allow for an independent auditing of the amount of money so far released to him since he took over as Speaker in 2011. The pro-Jonathan group also asked Tambuwal to steer clear of the Rivers State House of Assembly crisis and allow the police to re-open the state legislature for business. The group also demanded that Tambuwal should explain why members of the 7th Assembly were being paid a paltry N27 million per quarter as against the N45 million that their 6th Assembly counterparts were getting under the Dimeji Bankole leadership. They argued that they have been cheated by the leadership which reduced their pay when the Federal Government had not reduced the statutory N150 billion being paid to the National Assembly yearly.” (vanguard Newspaper 10/21/13)
“As of 2010, the annual salary for representatives, [US Congressman] is $174,000 per year regardless of the size of the state from which the representative is elected.
In 2010, President Obama froze the salaries at $174,000, making it the third year the representatives did not receive the annual raise.” (Source; ehow.com)
Folk, six hundred eighty four thousand dollars ($684,000) annual salary under Tambuwal and one million one hundred and sixty four thousand dollars ($1,164,000) annual salary under Bankole are the salaries of a Nigerian Congressman in 6th and 7th congress. And a Nigerian Senator takes home about one million four hundred thousand dollar ($1,400,000) in annual salary while And $174,000 is the annual salary of U S Congressman? You be the judge.
True, the U.S congressman may have staff paid by the U S treasury while Nigeria Congressman pays his or her staff from the $684,000 or $1,164, 000 annual salary. But folk here is why this congressional salary is sinful, fraudulent, criminal, immoral and callous to those Nigerian Children who have no roof over their heads; walk street on barefoot and on rags; can’t afford three meals a day, forced out of the school into child labor just for survival. Here is why this congressional salary is sinful, fraudulent, criminal, immoral and callous to the so many Nigerian graduates, mothers, fathers, young and old roaming the street searching for means of survival in the moment of time. Here is why this congressional salary is sinful, fraudulent, criminal, immoral and callous to the spirits of the still born and to the spirits of the maternally dead because of the absence and or inadequate medical facilities and services. Here is why this congressional salary is sinful, fraudulent, immoral and callous to so many Nigerians, young and old, the victims of road accidents due to the death trap nature of the poor, under-constructed, substandard gullied Nigeria roads. Here is why this congressional salary is sinful, fraudulent, immoral and callous to the Nigeria Police Force and to the National Security agencies’ personnel who are poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly paid who put their lives on the line for the congress that can never justify the evilly humongous pay in a country where more that 70% of the citizenry live on average of $2 a day and unemployed. Would any sane person say that the Nigeria congress is more resourceful and more productive than the Police and Military departments? The list of the sinfulness, fraudulent, immorality and callousness of the over a million dollars per annual pay to Nigeria congressman can go on endlessly.
I agree, there must be accountability and financial oversight in all agencies and departments of the government. And I agree Ms. Oduah should be investigated and prosecuted if found wanting in this financial sacrilege. Ms Odua should have known better. She should have known that safety in a society does not come by self isolation; neither inside bullet proof vehicle, nor inside double 20 feet walled house. Ms Oduah should have known that safety is only assured in a society, where economic, social, political justice and equity, equal treatment of all citizens under the law are the rules. She should have known that security and safety is neither an exclusive reserve for the privileged minority nor a reserve for the rich, nor privilege for the well connected, nor an exclusive right for the ministers and elected officials. However we must not allow Oduah's unconscionable spending indiscretion distract us from the abominable congressional pay.
Yes, the U S Congressman takes $174, 000 annually for his or her service to the country and has trillions of dollars in returns to the country to show for it. He returns, the best infrastructure, the best medical facilities and services, the best police and military departments, the best security; returns superpower and superior military power the world has ever known, returns the best and safest air transport system, the lowest maternal and infant mortality rate, the best education, the best and largest employment opportunities for its citizens and the world citizens at large; the US Congressman returns the most satisfied citizenry. The list goes on for what the U S congressman returns to the country for his or her meager salary compared to Nigerian Congressman who returns nothing for one million one hundred sixty four thousand dollars in annual pay.
The difference between what Nigerian Congressman received in salary $1,164,000 per year under Bankole and what the U S congressman receives in salary $174,000 per year is $990, 000; almost a million dollars in difference for the Nigeria Legislator. That is, if Nigeria decides today to pays it Congressional-Neanderthals $174,000 per year, the same $174,000 per year U S congressman receives, Nigeria will save nine hundred and ninety thousand dollars ($990,000) which is the excess money it pays its congress-caveman relative to U S Congressman. Agreed, the U S congressman has staff, office space and official travels which the U S treasury pays for; but the question is, do the Nigeria Congressman have paid-staff, travel and office space expenses for which he or she pays and spends the close to a million dollars in excess salary he or she receives compare to the U S counterpart? The answer is no and this is why Nigeria have plentiful of unemployed youth and graduates.
The excess money ($1M, per Congressman times 360 members =$360M=N5.74B just for the house only) in congressional pay can employ many unemployed Nigerians. If you factor in Senate's excess pay you did be looking at close to $500M or N7.9B in congressional excess pay per annual. While the Nigerian Congressman still takes home $174,000 per years; same salary the U S congressman takes home in a year. But why should a Nigerian Congressman even receives $174,000 per years salary in a country where 70% of the populace live below $2 a day; a country among the 50 worst countries in the world in all development index? When a U. S congressman receives $174,000 salary per year in a country that is the best country in the world in all development index. If U S congressman receives $174,000 per year in salary shouldn’t its Nigerian congressional Neanderthal counterpart be paid only, ten pound meat of goat intestine, 5 haystack of grass, 5 tubers of cocoyam and yams, one palm and one banana trees, one bow and five arrows and one stone spear? In all seriousness annual congressional pay in Nigeria should never be more than N1.8M or $12000 if 70% of the citizenry lives under $2 pay. Why should congressional positions be source of riches, wealth in Nigeria? The national conference should never quibble with unicameral legislature.
Folk is unquestionable that politic of bitterness, of hate and anger, of do or die, of assassination, would be elimination if elected politicians are paid minimum wage. Is unquestionable that if the elected public officials are paid minimum wage, every one of them would truly serve and not savagery the country; Is unquestionable that if elected public officials are paid minimum wage, there will be opportunity, space for all Nigerians, every citizen who wants to serve to serve because the elective office would have been made financially unattractive.
With this excess $1m per Congressman per year or $500M per congressional per year, Nigeria Government can employ congressional paid-staffs and pay the travel cost of the Congress thereby creating jobs for the unemployed. It is no secret that these Nigerian Neanderthals called Congressmen employs few or no staff and when they employ, they employ family members, relatives, sex and bedmates, concubines and do not spend a million dollars on staff, travels and accommodation. The only travel these heartless men-like creatures make is vacationing to the already made countries with their $1m dollars in excess pay. Nigeria government should provide basic office spaces for these Congressional Neanderthals who actually suppose to live in caves, and revoke their $1M in excess pay. Over a long run the government would save money since successive congressional members would use the same office spaces. If reason is the guide of politicians in African and in Nigeria in particular no public official should receive more than 4 fold the national minimum wage in the country. But Reason whence have you gone, why have thee forsaken our people? And Et tu Brute, Knowledge.
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