A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday said what he received as allowance while in office was ₦25m contrary to public perception that National Assembly members collect humongous salaries and allowances.
Dogara, who represented Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency of Bauchi State, served in the 8th National Assembly between 2015 and 2019.
The former Speaker, who spoke at the National Assembly, Abuja, during the ‘Legislative Open Week’ organized by the House of Representatives was trying to dispel public perception that the federal legislators collect so much money as allowances and salaries.
He, however, did not indicate whether the ₦25m allowance was for monthly, yearly, or for the whole of the four years spent in the House.
“My allowances, everything as a Speaker then, was ₦25 million. I asked my accountant to open an account for this money because this money was not mine.
“Even we talk about the allowances the people think are humongous, Mr Speaker forgive me, the House should forgive me”, he said.
Dogara also said that his salary as Speaker was not up to N400,000.
“I don’t know whether they have increased it but when I was there, my salary was not up to ₦400,000 a month. So a young man in my constituency said, ‘You mean this is your salary? I can even hire you to work for me.
“Honestly speaking, there was never a time I took one naira out of that account home. As a matter of fact, there was never a time that money lasted three days. I am saying this so that even Honourable members who are here should let the Speaker and Deputy Speaker breathe.
“Whatever a member gets, citizens must know this. No matter how stingy that member is because of expectations from our citizens, it is very difficult for that money to last for a month in the hands of that member,” Dogara said.
Daily Trust reports that Nigerians have often raised concerns over the salaries and allowances members of the National Assembly collect in each legislative session.
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