Hon Yakubu Dogara, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has stated that his entire allowance as Speaker of the House was N25 million, while his salary was N400,000.
While speaking at the two-day House of Representatives open week celebration in Abuja, Dogara stated that the clarification was essential due to public misconceptions that members of the National Assembly receive large salaries and allowances.
According to Dogara, the misperception of massive salary and allowances by Nigerians has given the National Assembly a terrible image, where they are dubbed thieves even in public fora.
He said “While I was Speaker my salary was 400 thousand Naira and my total allowance was 25 million naira, I told my accountant to open a separate account for the allowances 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, and when money comes you return to where you had taken the money from.
I am saying this so Nigerians will give their legislatures breathing space and know that the narrative is not true about members’ pay.”
