By NASS
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged
President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of
Representatives Mr Yakubu Dogara to persuade their members to voluntarily
return running costs and other allowances so far collected, and now
declared as illegal by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal
Commission (RMAFC), and to use any returned funds to establish a trust
fund to improve investment in education and health.
The RMAFC yesterday declared as illegal the N13.5 million each senator
reportedly collects monthly as running cost. Each member of the House of
Representatives also reportedly collects N10 million monthly as running
cost. According to the commission, the payment is not covered by the
Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and
Allowances) (Amendments) Act 2008 governing emoluments of political office
holders in the country.
Reacting, SERAP in a statement by its deputy director Timothy Adewale
said: Under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the National
Assembly cannot use its appropriation power for personal gain of
lawmakers. The revelation that the National Assembly unilaterally
increased their own allowances and running costs without any regard to due
process of law constitutes a flagrant abuse of governmental powers for
personal gain.
According to the organization, The National Assembly would never be able
to check abuses of power by the executive or perform important oversight
functions if the lawmakers are looking after themselves rather than
standing up for the citizens.
The statement read in part: A trust fund can supply health aid,
educational support, economic empowerment, dignity and overall improved
social welfare of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors of the
population. This proposed trust fund can serve as one of the strategies
for addressing the escalating crisis in our educational and health
sectors, something which Bill Gates has discussed with the Nigerian
authorities.
Legislative powers are a means; the end is the liberty and prosperity of
the citizens. The leadership of the National Assembly should therefore
ensure that our lawmakers are more sensitive to the needs of Nigerians in
the exercise of their legislative powers and that the powers are used to
improve opportunities for the citizens, and access to quality education
and adequate health for all Nigerians regardless of socio-economic
status.
To check against corruption, the leadership of the National Assembly
should also urgently put in place a system of publishing an account of
receipts and expenditures of members including on constituency projects,
running costs and other allowances. Nigerians who pay the lawmakers ought
to know in what manner the funds for the operation of the National
Assembly are expended.
Saraki and Dogara should take immediate steps to ensure the recovery and
voluntary return of the dirty money, if they are to ensure that the
Constitution’s integrity is not undermined by the evasion of political and
legal accountability by the National Assembly. The trust funds would
contribute to the efforts to improve investment in education and health
for the greatest happiness of the greatest number.
Without accountability of our lawmakers, the countrys democratic project
cannot function according to its constitutional design. By limiting the
potential for the abuse of governmental power, the Nigerian Constitution
protects individual liberty and requires all branches of government
including the National Assembly to strive to improve their welfare and
economic and social development and opportunities.
The Framers of the Constitution deemed this information essential if
Nigerians are to exercise any control over their representatives and meet
their growing responsibilities as citizens. Publication of statement of
accounts of public expenditures would enhance the responsibility of the
National Assembly by informing the public about the purposes and authority
for certain expenditures.
It would be recalled that RMAFC said only the National Assembly Service
Commission could explain how the senators came to be paid such an
unapproved allowance. The commissions clarification was contained in a
statement by its spokesman, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed.