“He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” I am not sure where the above quote originated from, but I think for the purpose of this discussion, it will be very useful.
In politics, there is no morality. At least, the Nigerian version of what people call politics lacks any iota of morality. Interestingly, but sadly, some politicians want you to believe that they are saints. They demonise others and appear sanctimonious. In their myopic minds, they are the saints, while the other thieving politicians are the sinners.
These saints have never worked in their lives. They have no known or functional businesses. They are anything, but savvy. Yet, they have amassed so much wealth that it will take a local government to draw from it for a century before their pulses will run dry.
These politicians come on air and blame everyone, but themselves. They appoint themselves as anti-corruption crusaders. Their children drive the best cars and attend the most expensive universities abroad. They even arrange marriages for their children so that they can keep the loot within their small circles. When the people complain, they hand out peanuts to quench their hunger and move on as if nothing matters.
But in reality, there are no saints in politics. Every Nigerian politician has sinned and has fallen short of the glory of God. So, let no one deceive you.
Okay then. Let’s talk about Saint Shehu Sani, a former ‘comrade’ and senator representing Kaduna Central in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly.
About a fortnight ago, a former Saint Sani, revealed in an interview with TheNews magazine: “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month.”
For folks like me, this didn’t come as a surprise. I had imagined that the largesse hovered around N12.5 million per month. At least, that was what we were told unofficially and for a long time, we ‘mourned’ and sympathised with ‘poor’ lawmakers. In their minds, they must have imagined that we were stupid to have bought into that falsehood. I will let that slide.
Don’t forget, the N13.5 million they earn as ‘running cost’ every month is in addition to the N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate. Let me replay what Sani told TheNews.
Hear him: “But what I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00.
“The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.
“You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.
“Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.
“So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leave senators and members of House of Reps with salaries.
“And also, the public should be informed that nobody should come to any senator’s house asking for any kobo. That also would be helpful.
“There are issues that we need to understand. First, I don’t believe that members of the national or even state assemblies should be involved in carrying out what is called constituency projects.
“When people are elected into the National Assembly, they should just be involved in law making, raising motions, bills and also performing oversight functions. But we live in a society where people cannot differentiate between the legislators and the executive.
“When the people come to you, they want you to build roads, dig boreholes, build hospitals, schools, give money, pay school fees for them. Now, if we have a society in which people will stop asking legislators to do those things, then there is no need for the allowances.
“But funny enough, if you are very active in the National Assembly in making laws and you don’t embark on projects in your constituency, you cannot in any way be appreciated by the people you are there to serve because the electorate in United States are different from the electorate in Nigeria and Africa.
“We live in an underdeveloped society with a lot of poverty, misery and wants. What people want is for you to address those basic fundamental issues that affect their lives.
“If we can be done with that, it would be okay. Now, you are talking of bogus salaries and bogus allowances – there are three steps you need to consider – the first has to do with the fact that when you represent the people, expectations arise from your immediate and the larger constituencies.
“But I agree with you that the salaries and allowances of lawmakers should not be discreet, but what is discreet about it when you can write to Revenue and Fiscal Mobilization Commission to get everything about what a senator earns?
“The only money you are not expected to account for is your salary and the salary of a senator is about N750, 000.00 per month. The other one, the running cost of office must be accounted for. You must provide a receipt for every expense you make.”
Sani had a willing ally and another saint who sometimes mistakes the senate for another beauty pageant. His name is Ben Murray-Bruce. He is a worthy saint who is holier than the Pope.
Playing a familiar card, Bruce hurriedly joined the conversation and reminded ‘ignorant’ Nigerians like me that he had pushed for a total abolition of the payment of their monthly running cost.
In a series of tweets last Monday, Bruce said he told other senators that if Nigerian legislators earned higher than European legislators then Nigerian workers should be paid higher than European workers.
The federal lawmaker said: “From the first day I got to the senate, I advocated for lower wages and allowances for public officials and a higher minimum wage for the Nigerian worker. I was resisted and made the personal decision to share my allowances with widows in my constituency. If we must pay our legislators higher than they pay European legislators then we must pay our workers higher than they pay European workers.”
This is the breakdown of what senators earn. As at March, 2018, each senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has earned N24.750 million as basic salary in 33 months. This is between June 2015 and March 2018.
In four years, each senator will earn N30 million as basic salary. Similarly, each senator earns N162 million per annum as running cost, while already they earned N445.5 million in the last 33 months.
At the end of their four years in office, each senator would have earned N648 million as running cost. In total, over N70 billion will be earned by 109 senators in four years as running cost, while N26.923 billion will trickle in as salaries in four years.
I have deliberately left out the constituency projects so that some folks will not have heart attacks like Arsenal fans.
It is also common knowledge that the running cost of the four presiding officers of the National Assembly every month is in the region of N1 billion. Each presiding officer has over 100 aides and they don’t offer pro bono services. They get their pay from the taxes you and I pay.
This piece will be incomplete if I fail to ask Sani and Bruce some basic moral questions. Since it is haram to earn fat salaries and allowances, why did you two not turn down the jumbo pay? How dare you come to equity with unclean hands? Those who live in glass houses must and should not throw stones. You must maintain table manners while you eat.
If you can’t stand the heat, kindly exit the kitchen. You can’t enjoy the largesse and pretend to be a saint. Mbanu! In Godsday Orubebe’s voice ‘we will not take this.’
Beyond the noise about lawmakers’ jumbo pay, we need to extend our dragnet to other arms of government.
Nigerians should demand for the ‘running cost’ of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Chief of Staff to the President, Secretary to Government of the Federation, ministers, permanent secretaries, advisers and assistants, governors, their deputies, members of State Houses of Assembly, local government chairmen, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, among others.
We will be doing serious injustice to senators if other government officials are left off the hook. Like Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State stated on Friday, Nigerians will be shocked if the executive arm opens its Pandora’s Box.
At the end of the day, they are all the same. There are no saints among thieves; they are all sinners.
I so submit!