On Saturday, June 9, 2018, the Nigerian Senate will clock three years. I have therefore, chosen to take a critical look at this vital, yet often neglected institution, for, it is the bedrock of any sane democracy.
Nigerians are always in a hurry to descend on the president, ministers and heads of other government agencies. We always erroneously leave out the Senate, which in my opinion, is wrong.
The 8th Senate is unique for a number of right and wrong reasons. It has the highest number of lawmakers facing one prosecution or the other. From the head, Bukola Saraki, to the least, about 13 senators are currently facing one corruption or criminal trial. As the 2019 elections draw near, more names will he added to the growing list.
In the years to come, Nigerians will remember how the 8th Senate made history. For the first time in our democratic experience, the mace, a symbol of authority of the parliament, was carted away during plenary. My children will be glad to read about this.
Many Nigerians, rightly or wrongly, hold the view that the 8th Senate is the most divided. These Nigerians are quick to point out the infighting among members of the same All Progressives Congress (APC). They also point out some of the controversial suspensions and more that may come in the coming weeks.
For them, the 8th Senate has been reduced to a mere gathering of people, whose resolutions are ignored by heads of government agencies. For the first time, the Inspector-General of Police, serially refused to honour the invitation of the Senate and the heavens didn’t fall. The man is still holding sway.
Controversial Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, secured a decisive victory against the Senate, when he refused to wear the uniform of the paramilitary service he supervises. Ali is still in office and heavens didn’t fall.
Ministers now frequent courts to stop the Senate from summoning them and one day, just maybe someone will secure an injunction and stop the Senate from sitting. So, as we mark its third year in office, these are the issues Nigerians are talking about.
My treatise this week will be different. The views of prominent Nigerians will be published here. Let’s get their own verdicts. You, my reader, can join the conversion. Let’s take a critical look at this Senate. What have they have done right and how have they derailed as well?
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s verdict
“The National Assembly stinks and stinks to high heavens. It needs to be purged. With appropriate measures, the budget of the National Assembly can be brought down to less than 50% of what it is today. God will help Nigeria, but we must begin by helping ourselves. “The National Assembly cabal of today is worse than any cabal that anybody may find anywhere in our national governance system at any time.
“Members of the National Assembly pay themselves allowances for staff and offices they do not have or maintain. Once you are a member, you are co-opted and your mouth is stuffed with rottenness and corruption that you cannot opt out as you go home with not less than N15 million a month for a Senator and N10 million a month for a member of the House of Representatives. The National Assembly is a den of corruption by a gang of unarmed robbers.
“Another means by which the National Assembly embarks on corruption spree is their so-called oversight responsibility. They instigate and collude with Ministries, Departments, Parastatals and Agencies to add to their budget outside what was submitted by the President with the purpose of sharing the addition or they threaten such units to reduce what was submitted by the President unless there is a promise of kickback.
“They can also set up a spurious committee to investigate a project while they call on the contractor to pay them or the executive officer in charge of the project to cough up money, otherwise they would write a bad report.
“By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Fiscal and Allocation Commission should be responsible for fixing the remunerations of the Executive and the Legislative arms of the government. Any salary, allowance or perquisite not recommended by the Commission should not be budgeted for; but crooks and crooked that most of the members of the National Assembly are, they will try to find other ways which must be blocked.
“In the past, they even instructed the Clerk of the National Assembly not to reveal to the Executive details of their remuneration. May God give the President the wisdom, courage and audacity to be able to do with the National Assembly what is being done with the Judiciary. We should not continue to live with the impunity and corruption of the National Assembly.”
Verdict of a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega “Members of the National Assembly engage in bribe taking when they pursue Committee works and oversight and I wonder what is happening with intelligence and investigative responsibilities of security agencies in policing our National Assembly.
“Some chairmen of the committees in the National Assembly have become notorious on this issue of demanding for bribe with impunity.
“I have passed through the university system. I have heard so many stories of many vice chancellors about the horror that they go through on question of budget and so-called oversight assignments.
“I am not saying that chief executives are saints but all we are saying is that we must point the searchlights so that Nigerians and particularly public office holders should have basic common decency and integrity by which they discharge their responsibilities because virtually everybody seems to forget about what is going on.”
Professor Itsey Sagay’s verdict
“From the information I have gathered, a Nigerian Senator earns about N29 million a month and over N3 billion a year. Firstly, the minimum wage in Nigeria is N18,000 and the Senate is a group of people who actually vote their own minimum wage for themselves. The President does not determine his wage but the Senate takes a chunk of our budget and gives to itself.
“Secondly, their allowances: their basic salary in a year is N2,484,000. Then they collect hardship allowance which is 50 per cent of basic salary. Is there hardship in being a Senator? They stay in air-conditioned offices with beautiful cushions and live a luxurious life and yet collect hardship allowance. Then, there’s constituency allowance, 200 per cent of basic salary; furniture allowance, 300 per cent of basic salary; newspaper allowance, 50 per cent of basic salary.
“So, our senators cannot afford to buy their own newspapers, Nigeria has to buy newspapers for them? Wardrobe allowance, 25 per cent of basic salary. So, they arrived in Abuja stack naked, meaning we have to clothe them. Recess allowance, 10 per cent of basic salary; Accommodation allowance, 200 per cent of basic salary; utilities, we don’t even know what that means, 30 per cent of basic salary.
“Domestic staff, 75 per cent of basic salary; entertainment, 30 per cent of basic salary; personal assistant, 25 per cent of basic allowance; vehicle maintenance allowance, 75 per cent of basic allowance; leave allowance, 10 per cent of basic salary; severance gratuity, 300 per cent of basic salary; motor vehicle allowance, 400 per cent of basic salary.”
“90 per cent of Nigerian youths are jobless, involved in kidnapping, armed robbery and so on. Boko Haram came because the people are jobless and a few people are earning over N3 billion a year. One can’t be neutral. Should Nigerians be deprived of all these by a small elite who think of themselves alone and do not care about the country.”
Femi Falana’s verdict
“Apart from the monthly package of N13.8 million, each senator is given the opportunity to execute constituency projects to the tune of N200 million per annum. However, the disclosure made by Senator Sani does not cover the allowances for cars, housing, wardrobe, furniture etc running to several millions of Naira approved for each senator.
“Last year, the legislators also illegally purchased exotic cars of N4.7 billion for themselves when workers were owed arrears of salaries and the masses were groaning under a recession caused by the profligacy and mismanagement of the national economy by the ruling class.”
“The Buhari administration owes the nation a duty to ensure that no political officer is paid salaries and allowances that have not been approved by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission. The federal government should, as a matter of urgency, halt the payment of double salary and allowances to a number of legislators and ministers.
“Sadly, it has been reported in the press that there are moves in the Senate to place Senator Shehu Sani on indefinite suspension for spilling the beans on the payment of the illegal salaries and allowances to federal legislators.
“Having discharged a public duty by blowing the whistle on a matter of crucial national importance, all lovers of democracy and public accountability in Nigeria should rally round the senator by ensuring that he is not harassed for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to freedom of expression.
“In view of the duty imposed on all authorities and persons in Nigeria by virtue of section 287 of the Constitution, to comply with the judgment of every competent court, Senator Sani cannot be penalized for disclosing the salaries and allowances of federal legislators in compliance with the valid and subsisting orders of the federal high court.”
Nigerians, behold your verdict!
Happy 3rd year anniversary, Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Senator Victor Umeh’s intervention on juvenile prisoners
Last Wednesday, Distinguished Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, made a critical intervention on the floor of the Senate. He sponsored a motion tagged: “Illegal confinement of underage offenders and infants in the same prison with adult prisoners.”
As expected, the motion got the support of other senators. Adopting all the prayers sort by Senator Umeh in the motion, the Senate urged the various security agencies involved in the arrest and detention of juveniles to ensure that they are not incarcerated beyond 48 hours. It added that when convictions are secured, the security agencies must ensure that juveniles are separated from adult inmates.
To this end, it called on the Federal Government to establish more juvenile remand and correctional homes to cater for offenders less than the age of 18 years.
When lawmakers sponsor like this, Nigerians will begin to take the institution of the Senate seriously. This is a plus for Senator Umeh.