Bogus salary for NASS members ‘Single Narrative Story’- Hon. Chinda, says no lawmakers earns jumbo pay
….earns N700, 000 a month
….earns N5million running cost
….no NASS member can survive without external support
A member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State has lend his voice to the cry that National Assembly members earns the highest pay in the world, describing such notion as single narratives.
Speaking with Daily Dispatch in his office, Hon. Chinda said each time he hears such argument he felt very disturbed, adding that the notion by Nigerians about lawmakers salary is very wrong, stressing that his salary is N700, 000 a month and not N25million has been speculated around.
The Chairman Public Account Committee of the house further argued that the salaries and wages of public office holders is in tandem with the civil service regulation, stressing that anybody who wishes to know how much Mr. President and other public officers earn should visit Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Committee who is saddled with the responsibility of fixing salaries.
His words: “The notion Nigerians has is very very wrong. Let me put it on record that remuneration of lawmakers is in tandem with the civil service regulations, fix by RAMFAAC sadled with fixing salaries of all officers including Mr. president.
“The issue of salaries of lawmakers not in the public is neither here nor there is like saying our law is not in the public, nobody brings the law into your house. Anybody who goes to RAMFAAC can get how much Mr. president earns. What is happening is what I joined chimamanda has single narratives.
“People have heard the story a million times that NASS members earns 20m 30m which amount to billions a year. That the NASS members are the highest paid parliamentarians in the world which is far from the truth.
“My colleagues in USA I have an opportunity of interfacing with them, for every constituency they have a fund, a fund that is internationally practice is not what we call constituency fund. There is always a fun set aside, a fund that as a member you can draw from, not for personal use but for things like research, that will enable you get professionals of on any field who will do research and they are paid from that from such funds.
“So at the end of the year whatever is left is sent back to Federal Government cover. That is not your salary, that is not anything that has to do with remuneration but in Nigeria we don’t have that kind of provision.
“Even where I want to work I am handicapped. I cannot know everything I am a lawyer by profession on legal issues I will try, and you find out that we work ourselves out, those of us who want to work you don’t have the money to keep consultant.
“I chaired public account committee as u speak that is a committee that should be a house hold name. Is a committee that has a statutory allocation, which is about 140, which covers both chambers. If you keep a consultant for a year how much are you going to pay him and we sit almost every day except Thursdays.
“Nobody pays any member sitting allowance, aside the salary of members we also have a running cost. That running cost. My salary is not more than N700, 000 a month. I have staff, how do I pay them from my salary. The running cost is what helps to run the office and pay your personal staff.
“And running cost is N5m a month. If I do not have support from other sources it will be difficult for me to succeed as a legislature in fact if will be impossible for me to succeed, Hon. Kingsley declared.
