Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday said that federal legislators are not earning jumbo pay as being insinuated by critics.
He said when he was Speaker, his monthly salary was less than N400, 000, adding that his monthly impress as a presiding officer was N25 million.
Dogara, who served as Speaker between 2015 and 2019, noted that while the emoluments of National Assembly members have been on the front burner for a while, their monthly allowances cannot not last them for more than three days.
He urged Nigerians, particularly the constituents, to limit the financial demands on the lawmakers, owing to the belief that they earn huge salaries and allowances.
Dogara said the public misconception about huge salaries and allowance drawn by National Assembly members has given them a negative image.
He lamented that due to the perception, lawmakers are called thieves, even at public fora.
Dogara spoke at the ‘Legislative Open Week’ organised by the House of Representatives to mark the end of its first legislative year and commencement of its second year.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, another former House of Representatives Speaker Bello Masari called for grassroots engagement at the ceremony where House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas presented his score card.
Reiterating his call for cooperation among the organs of government, the president said building a solid nation is not the exclusive role of one arm.
No jumbo salary, says Dogara
Dogara, who acknowledged that the presidential system is expensive, said that does not mean that lawmakers draw fat salaries.
He said: “While I was Speaker, my salary was less than N400, 000. I don’t know if it has been increased now. My total impress was 25 million naira and I told my accountant to open a separate account for the impress and I never for once took any money out of that account. Everything that came into that account was used to cater for the needs of constituents.
“My accountant complained of the level of demand on the account and I told him if the money there is finished, borrow; when money comes, you return it to where you had taken money from.
“I am saying this so Nigerians will give their legislators a breathing space and know that the narrative is not true about members’ pay.
“We all know that democracy is expensive and if we think that it is too expensive, maybe, we should ask our political scientists to develop for us a local model that will be cheaper for us.”
Dogara said lawmakers should not to allow people to bully them into surrendering the current democratic order for whatever reason, stressing that the collapse of rational conversation is the problem of democracy in Nigeria.
He urged them to constantly engage the people as their representatives to put an end to speculations, especially about their earnings.
Dogara said: “It is not always good enough to talk to the people. What is important is to speak with the people, create a forum for them as an opportunity to talk with them so they can express themselves and not to speak for them or to them.”
The former Speaker said the time has come for the National Assembly to throw open it’s finances dispel the insinuation that the legislators were taking homongous amount of money on a monthly basis.
Abbas renders account
Abbas said the House under his leadership had contributed to inclusive and participatory governance in the past one year, adding that he has been implementing its Legislative Agenda, which it introduced in October.
The Speaker said the House introduced 1,351 bills, the highest number in any first session since 1999, adding that 89 of the bills were passed.
He said: “The 10th House of Representatives has been committed to running an open House that actively incorporates citizens’ input in lawmaking and oversight processes. We have made concerted efforts to listen to the voices of our constituents and reflect their aspirations in our legislative activities.
“Through town hall meetings, public hearings, and stakeholder engagements, we have ensured that the legislative process remains inclusive and participatory. This approach not only enhances the quality of our laws but also ensures that our decisions are rooted in the genuine needs and desires of the Nigerian people. No chamber of the National Assembly has undertaken such an initiative.
“By doing so, we demonstrate our commitment to transparency and readiness to be held accountable by the people we serve. Presenting our scorecard publicly allows us to showcase our achievements, acknowledge our challenges, and highlight our plans for the future. It reinforces the idea that the parliament is not just a body that makes laws but an institution that is responsible to its constituents for its actions and performance.
“This performance assessment was undertaken to evaluate how effectively the 10th House of Representatives has implemented its legislative agenda within its first session.
“The assessment serves several key purposes:
(i) to gauge the level of preparedness and institutional capacity of the 10th House to deliver on its mandate amid challenging national circumstances, (ii) to assess the maturity of our democracy, which is largely dependent on the efficiency of the legislative arm of government, and
(iii) to document the assessment report as a valuable resource in the growing literature of legislative activism.
Abbas added: “The legislative agenda prioritises economic empowerment and diversification to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on oil exports. Key bills include the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity sector by promoting investment in renewable energy sources.
Abbas listed other bills passed by the House in one year.
These include the Federal Audit Service Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023; the Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill, 2023; the Oath Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2023; the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2023; the Niger Delta Development Commission Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023; the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023; the Nigerian Medical Research Council (Establishment) Bill, 2023, among others.
On public hearings, the Speaker said “analysis of sessional reports from committees of the First Session of the 10th House reveals that committees conducted numerous public hearings between November and December 2023. Also, as of June 13, 2024, 679 motions were moved on the floor of the 10th House. Of these, 672 (99%) were being considered at various committees, while seven (1%) were negative. Among these motions, 43 (6.0%) were referred to ad-hoc committees and 629 (93%) to standing committees.”
Speaking on the oversight visits and inspections by the House in one year, the Speaker said “the House Committees visited 107 Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and projects nationwide. This is despite most standing committees being inaugurated between November and December 2023, averaging 1-2 visits per committee. These visits aimed to ensure that government programs and administration were implemented effectively, efficiently, and in alignment with legislative intent.
“The House committees held a total of 502 meetings in the first session of the 10th House. Further analysis shows the frequency distribution of meetings conducted by 117 House committees. The data reveals that 91 committees (77.8%) conducted between 1 and 5 meetings, 21 committees (17.9%) held between 6 and 10 meetings, and 4 committees (3.4%) held more than 11 meetings each. However, one committee did not convene any meetings during this period, he added.
The Speaker also highlighted legislative efforts towards conflict resolution of public complaints through the House Committee on Public Petitions where a total of 240 petitions were received in one with 40 of those cases closed while 10 have been laid before the House for resolution. Same has also been demonstrated in cases of industrial disputes between the organized labour and government.
“The 10th House has also played a pivotal role in mediating conflicts and ensuring the smooth resolution of crises before they escalate. A notable example of their intervention is with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), where the timely dialogue and negotiations led to the successful call-off of a nationwide strike, thereby averting further potential economic disruptions. Additionally, the House’s proactive engagement with the Nigerian Teachers Union swiftly resolved their grievances, ensuring minimal disruption to the educational sector. Similarly, their effective mediation with the Nigerian Medical Association facilitated the resolution of key issues, promoting stability within the healthcare sector,” the Speaker said.
Speaker Abbas noted that these efforts and the resultant effects were products of a harmonious working relationship that exists between the 10th House and the Executive arm of government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
‘Pay attention to grassroots engagement ‘
President Tinubu urged the lawmakers to pay more attention to grassroot engagement and carry along their constituents in their lawmaking and oversight function as part of the accountability process.
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the task of building a strong, solid and united country does not rest with only one arm of government.
He said collaboration was essential among all the segments of society.
The President said his government was prepared to collaborate with the Legislature and the Judiciary to ensure an all-inclusive government.
He urged the lawmakers to carry out robust oversight functions for the purpose of correcting the executive and fostering accountability.
He said they should organise town hall meeting with their constituents to collate their views and feelings about governance because every citizen cannot come to Abuja.
He said representative democracy would always promote inclusivity, accountability and good governance.
President Tinubu said citizens engagement would enable the grassroots to contribute to the lawmaking process and policy formulation for the good governance of the country.
Masari said engagement with those at the grassroots could result in inclusive democracy.
He urged the lawmakers to constantly hold town hall meetings to collate the views of the people.
Masari, former governor of Katsina State, said engagement with the people in the constituency would furnish them with information on what the government is doing and give them the opportunity for quality feedback.
He said: “I believe we should constantly have interactive engagement with the people. These engagements should not only be in Abuja. Celebrating 25 years of unbroken democracy is important, but we should bear it in mind that it is still work in progress because it is always important to look at where you are coming from and where you are going.”
Masari said research has shown that 70 percent of Nigerians prefers democratic governance.
He however, pointed out that “77 percent of that 70 per cent is not happy with what is going on.
He said: “The dividends of democracy must be seen on the ground. You are the mirror of democracy. People see you more and so, a lot is expected from you”.
Work hard, Sani tells lawmakers
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani said despite its achievements, the House should work harder to achieve more for the country.
He urged the lawmakers to speedily consider the bill on the creation of state Police as part of efforts aimed at tackling the rising insecurity.
The governor also urged them to take another look at the Fire Arms Act and bring it in conformity with international best practices.
Sani said out of about 350 million illegal arms in circulation in West Africa, more than 70 percent are in Nigeria.
He lamented that more than 65 percent of Nigerians are living below poverty line, adding that the country also has the highest number of out of school children in the world.
How to enhance democracy, by Edun
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun said democracy can only thrive when the voice of the people is heard.
He said Tinubu’s government has upheld the principles of democracy in the course of navigating the challenges facing the nation.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said communication with the people was healthy for any democracy, adding that it will prevent fake news.
He said Tinubu’s government had embarked on value reorientation to reclaim the value system.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu explained that inclusive and democratic legislative process should truly reflect the constituents’ needs and voices, stressing that it is a model for effective governance.
He stressed the commitment of the House to effective oversight to ensure that government programmes are implemented effectively, efficiently, and in line with the legislative intent.