Senators repudiates pay reduction recommendation by panel

Firstclass newsline gathered that the Senate on Wednesday repudiated
consideration of the report of its Finance committee following sharp
expostulations among members over the pay cut recommended by the
panel.
Firstclass newsline gathered that the senators during a two-hour
deliberation behind closed doors, resolved to reject the reduction of
salaries and allowances as recommended by the Senator James Manager's
committee.
The senators, according to one of them who confided in a source, said
it was not possible to accept pay reduction with other beneficiaries
of the N120bn National Assembly annual budget not doing same.
The senator said that his colleagues accordingly resolved to reject
the report because the recommendations were not practicable.
Some other senators who also spoke to a source on condition of
anonymity said further consideration of the finance committee report
was stepped down because many of their colleagues rejected the
contents of the report.
On what transpired at the closed- door session, Senator Matthew
Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), said senators told themselves the truth at
the session on the need to be very cautious on accepting reduction of
salaries and allowances.
Urhoghide said that majority of the senators agreed that "funny
allowances" like the monthly N42,000 wardrobe allowance should be cut
off completely.
He said, "Yes, as recommended by the committee, all senators agreed
that there must be openness in Senate budget and by extension, that of
the National Assembly.
"At the same time, many reasoned that why should we further reduce our
budget when already, N30bn has been reduced from the traditional 150bn
that it used to be for all the seven different organs of the National
Assembly.
"All of us have people in our constituencies and financial requests
from them keep piling up on a daily basis, the reality of which made
steps to be redirected, otherwise, some of us may stop coming here."
The committee, it was learnt, also recommended the publication of all
the payments accruable to each senator on a quarterly basis.
However, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at plenary, explained that
"Senate in closed session deliberated on the report of the finance
committee but agreed to stand it down for further legislative input."
Addressing journalists after plenary, Senate spokesperson, Senator
Dino Melaye, said further action on the report was put on hold because
the senate budget was an integral part of the National Assembly budget
being jointly shared by seven bodies.
Melaye said, "The Senate today, in closed-door session, discussed the
report of the ad hoc committee on finances of the senate.
"After due deliberations by the senators, we came to the conclusion
that since the budget of the Senate is not independent of the budget
of the National Assembly, the budget of the House of Representatives
is also inclusive.
"We have the management; we have the National Institute for
Legislative Studies; we have even the Public Conduct Commission; the
National Assembly Civil Service Commission, and over 3, 000
legislative aides, that are beneficiaries of the N120bn annual budget.
"Therefore, we have agreed that we should consult amongst other arms
that share the budget of the National Assembly, before we would draw a
conclusion on the report.
"So, the resolution is that we are going to interface with the House
of Representatives so that we can be on the same page on the report as
presented. This is the resolution of the Senate today in a closed-door
session."
Melaye denied reports that the National Assembly had been experiencing
cash crunch despite the fact that some senators confirmed last week
that they had not received salaries since their inauguration on June
9.
"I am not aware of any cash crunch, and for me, it is news from you,
and I don't think it is true," he said.
He said that the senators had the power to reduce their own pay just
like the President, the Vice President and some governors had done.
Melaye said, "It is the responsibility of the Revenue Mobilisation and
Fiscal Allocation Commission to stipulate how much you would be paid.
But you can sacrifice, as a public officer, to say: I am taking half
of my salary, and then taking half back to the treasury.
"It means that it would be returned to the treasury, where it would be
used for other developmental programmes.
"We would make wider consultations with the House of Representatives
on the report because we have one National Assembly and whatever is
going to affect the Senate, the House of Representatives should also
be carried along and I am sure that after this consultation we will
get back to the public."
Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Mr.
Abdullahi Kaugama as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Jigawa
State following the death of the former REC, Alhaji Abdullahi
Minkaila, who was set ablaze to death along his family members.
Firstclassnewsline.net