Senate President Lawan denies jumbo pay for N’Assembly, says legislators take only their due

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has raised concern over what he described as wrong notion of jumbo salary for National Assembly members as being speculated, insisting that legislators take only what is due to them.

Lawan clarified the issue when members of the Senators’ Forum visited him at his office in Abuja.

His words: “I believe that the National Assembly will throw everything open to the public to let Nigerians know what we are doing, but one thing I want to emphasise is that I don’t believe anything called jumbo pay for National Assembly members.

“Lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives receive their salaries. I receive N750, 000 as my salary, but I need to function well as a senator and as such, my office needs to be properly funded.”

He noted that no legislator could conduct his oversight functions without some funding, which Nigerians need to understand, adding: “We need to continue to explain this and I will also urge you to explain to them because they deserve to know what happens in the National Assembly.

“They deserve to know how their resources are being utilised, and this is what we will continue to do. I believe that the National Assembly needs proper funding because the legislature is very critical to national development.”

Lawan said when an institution like the National Assembly is required to legislate on almost everything under the sun, its members should have the best for Nigerians to have the best results.

“The public also needs to know what our functions and roles are. I believe that we should continue with the Open National Assembly. In 2018, we had the first version where individuals, NGOS, CBOs were invited and we had a lot of activities with members of the public. We will continue with that,” he stated.

Speaking, Chairman of the forum, Senator Khariat Gwadabe said the meeting represented a unique opportunity for them to interface with the Senate President.

She also expressed confidence in Lawan’s capacity to deliver good outcomes, having spent 20 years in the parliament, adding that the forum was ready to support the Ninth Assembly.