If people who normally give you a pass start asking serious questions then you need to sit up!
The message can only get louder.
Enough of the rhetoric,Mr. Tinubu.


Gbawe has been really effective in beating back anti-yoruba sentiments,sometimes carefully carved as 'hate' for the ACN
If he's paid to be here I would say he's been effective-most times backing up is assertions with facts and pictures,something the lappies hardly do but ACN has been most inspiring on paper. PDP is irredeemable and I don't want them near anywhere my neck of the woods,so those who have been given mandate to transform must do it,no to continuous sappy rhetoric,triumphalism or half measures.

Billyonaire: Thoughtful! Brilliant!! This is what I expected of an opposition political party. Those are clear and clean facts. Having two Legislative Chambers is too expensive, inefficient, duplicity of functionality. INEC Chairman should be responsible for appointment of State IEC chairmen. Then to Tinubu, ACN members should be able to undergo transparent Primaries to elect who should represent them, not Tinubu anointing them.

The fact is that Tinubu's suggestion amounts to using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. In Nigeria we tend to bastardize processes and systems meant to deliver development by turning them into get-rich-quick schemes that are a drain on the nations resources. We will then start seeking a blanket removal that fails to address the fundamental issues. It is the same concept with the fuel subsidy removal.

It can never be a tenable idea , in the UK, to call for the roles of MP's to be abolished because the nation finds them too expensive to maintain. The argument should not be a monetary one. Since we currently practice a system of Governance that accomodates a legislative arm, we would be better off looking at reforms that can change the cost of maintaining this arm of Government instead of moving for outright abolishment. "Abolishing" the Senate cannot be done without legal ratification and tinubu only makes a hollow call here.

naturalwaves:
Just wen I was abt apologising going by d fact dat U said ur post was borne out of previous threads,I saw dat U've modified d post into this & U lost my respect.I only made d comment cos I kuldn't decipher d correlatn btw d daft post of urs and wat U quoted. Atleast U agree ur post was indeed daft.
#Lobatan#

Moreover,it is a very childish attitude 2 make posts based on past encounters wit someone.It would av done U no harm 2 ignore his post if U av nothing meaningful 2 say it.It's just a simple social etiquette.Infact,some persons wuld av suggested u av ur brain tested wit dat daft post of urs in relatn 2 wat u quoted.

Thank you. How has 'stalking' become popular here if not that emotional and hateful posters carry blind hatred and bad belle for others from thread to thread? It is the lowest form of childishness.

Tinubu is right.

To be honest with you, I would have preferred Tinubu and others, if they are going to be making bold statements, to call for the scrapping of the entire national assembly and offer a realistic and practical framework for a way forward - SNC with dissollution of the union, being off the table, would have impressed me the most.

Desola: while it appears that Tinubu makes sense in his suggestions, he is in no position to talk really as not only is he a beneficiary of the rot in government, he is also a perpetrator. That he created a party different from that of the notorious evil party - PDP, does not avail him from the ills he has also committed. If truly he believes in fairness and credibility, he would have encouraged a far more qualified ACN member to represent Lagos state and not foist his wife whom had no recorded experience in political administration other than being a one time first lady of Lagos state. Admitedly, PDP is probably the worst political party that has ever happened to Nigeria, but ACN with its oligarchic tendencies could be another PDP waiting to happen.

As per the matter he raised, my opinion is that for there to be check and balance, we require both the lower and the upper houses. Getting rid of one and giving absolute power to the other would be absolutely wrong (at least in Nigeria) because we know that absolute power corrupts absolutely! What we need is an overhaul, restructuring but not removal. In all, our powers need to be separated and made more effective, less corruptible and more credible. These are what we need. Can you tell the UK to remove the house of Lords or tell the US to remove the senate? It makes no sense.

Tinubu should come up with suggestions that can actually be implemented not just talking for talking sake so as to be seen as an opposition leader. He is getting stale fast.

thank you cos you have said it all, Someone that singlehandedly runs a political party with some few friends he feeds with crumbs, let him go and make ACN a party with effective representation first.

[quote author=thelastPope][/quote] the same man that appointed his household to run for national and state assembly is crying foul on REC's appointment, Asiwaju please clean your mess at home and we will support you when you speak.

danjohn:

Madame Desola, a bicameral legislature leads to gridlock. In the senate, a state like Lagos with over 9 million people is represented by the same number of senators as a state like Bayelsa with less than 2 million people. That isn’t fair. When you say that this will make the legislature have absolute power, I beg to differ. You say this as if the house of reps is made up of only one man. The house of reps is made up of 360 people. Hence, you will still need a lot of consensus building in order to pass legislation. By the way, please do not compare Nigeria to the UK. Your reference to the House of Lords is a misplaced comparison. The House of Lord is an unelected body that has no power to pass legislation. The role of the Housemn of Lords is to make sure that a law is constitutional before it is passed. In the United States and in Nigeria, this role is played by the Supreme Court.

The 2 member representation is a reflection of the political function of the Senate. They are there to formulate policies not represent demographies. Demography is represented in proportional numbers by the House seats. The House is the voice of the people.

what Tinubu is saying is clearly one of the obvious we have always know.
what exactly have been able to achieve with this bicameralism? absolutely nothing.
Have we been able to get it right then this call will have been unnecessary.
Tinubu is saying the obvious,
Lets remove the hatred we may have for him and address the Issue, please.

Desola:

I'm sorry PointB but we are on opposite sides of the spectrum. That I can no longer stand Gbawe does not in any way, shape or form mean I am a signatory to your line of thought.

Tinubu is fit to be a political leader and far better in my opinion than jonasatan but to be the leader of the Yorubas is what I totally oppose. The stark difference between him and Awo is that Awo was not only a Yoruba political leader, he was also the leader of the Yorubas who stood for integrity, loyalty, vision, progress and dignity. All these qualities, I find lacking in Tinubu but for rescuing the SW from the evil PDP party (although for his own gratification), I commend him and indebted to him.

Personally I understand you, and I am not asking you to agree with my line of thought. I am only interested in the fact that you appear more critical a thinker, unlike the many mindless Tinubu choir. So I quite appreciate your candor, in stating that Tinubu is not fit lead Yoruba, a role he is positioning himself for, while others, encouraged by the likes of Gbawe are buying into his gradual usurpation of something reserved for the revered.

At the peak of Obasanjo power, the worst of the lot held sway as Governors in the SW region - no thanks to the daylight rigging enthroned by him. Compared to Obj, GEJ is a saint, at least for not encouraging rigging in the last election in the SW for starters. GEJ could have used Obj template, and rigged in anyone he fancies, and then stare down any resistance with AK47 wielding soldiers, or hound hard nut with EFCC - you know the drill!. But he chose a different course - fairness; a course the likes or Tinubu take credit for. So Tinubu did not rescue SW from PDP, free and fair election, encouraged and enthroned by GEJ you strongly detest did that! That he is able to operate freely and move around is simply because GEJ is not as vindictive as Obj.

Now the question you, and other thinking Yorubas should be asking is: Where exactly is Tinubu leading SW, toward Buhari CPC ala Akintola, or his own burgeoning empire? And where does SW intend to be, having been 'rescued' from PDP? What exactly is SW integration? Is it an integration of Tinubu numerous companies and drain pipes, and puppet Governors? Or a coalescing of independent minded free people and leaders of SW? And I still ask, that a SW is not a Speaker of the House is it GEJ or Tinubu's fault? What commitment did Tinubu extract from Tambuwal (evil PDP) to sell the position allocated to SW to him? if it is politics, what is in it for SW?

Dudu_Negro:

The 2 member representation is a reflection of the political function of the Senate. They are there to formulate policies not represent demographies. Demography is represented in proportional numbers by the House seats. The House is the voice of the people.

Total nonsense. Formulate what policy? Are you telling me that the house of reps cannot formulate policy? Desola provided a comparison that was completely misplaced. The Nigerian Senate and the House of Lords are very different.

Desola: while it appears that Tinubu makes sense in his suggestions, he is in no position to talk really as not only is he a beneficiary of the rot in government, he is also a perpetrator. That he created a party different from that of the notorious evil party - PDP, does not avail him from the ills he has also committed. If truly he believes in fairness and credibility, he would have encouraged a far more qualified ACN member to represent Lagos state and not foist his wife whom had no recorded experience in political administration other than being a one time first lady of Lagos state. Admitedly, PDP is probably the worst political party that has ever happened to Nigeria, but ACN with its oligarchic tendencies could be another PDP waiting to happen.

As per the matter he raised, my opinion is that for there to be check and balance, we require both the lower and the upper houses. Getting rid of one and giving absolute power to the other would be absolutely wrong (at least in Nigeria) because we know that absolute power corrupts absolutely! What we need is an overhaul, restructuring but not removal. In all, our powers need to be separated and made more effective, less corruptible and more credible. These are what we need. Can you tell the UK to remove the house of Lords or tell the US to remove the senate? It makes no sense.

Tinubu should come up with suggestions that can actually be implemented not just talking for talking sake so as to be seen as an opposition leader. He is getting stale fast.

On point Desola

Tinubu is sleeping on duty.

danjohn:

Total nonsense. Formulate what policy? Are you telling me that the house of reps cannot formulate policy? Desola provided a comparison that was completely misplaced. The Nigerian Senate and the House of Lords are very different.

I didn't provide direct comparison but used the HOL as an example of a fundamental arm of government. I tried to stress on the importance of such establishment to the fundamental structure of the government and how its total removal can be detrimental to the core foundation of the country. I never compared their functions.

Technically, the house of commons would not have law given assent without the agreement of the HOL. The House of Lords can delay a law from becoming a legislation.

It may seem I like being antagonistic if I say Tinubu just wanted to be in the news by this unrealistic call... Nigeria and nigerians( including me) are not ripe for this to happen to our polity... The house of representatives are the worst set of people you can bestow with such enormous power, except if not a house where I saw Farouk deliberated yesterday.... Smh

Desola:

I didn't provide direct comparison but used the HOL as a fundamental arm of government. I tried to stress on the importance of such establishment to the fundamental structure of the government and how its total removal can be detrimental to the core foundation of a country. I never compared their functions.

Technically, the house of commons would not have law given assent without the agreement of the HOL. The House of Lords can delay a law from becoming a legislation.

Correct

For the proper functioning of democracy, an upper house of legislature is required.

That Nigeria filled both houses with thieves from all parties is symptomatic of the Nigerian problem. Fixing the problems with the polity should be a priority; the abolishment of the Senate would serve no purpose and further perpetuate tyranny.

seanet01: what Tinubu is saying is clearly one of the obvious we have always know.
what exactly have been able to achieve with this bicameralism? absolutely nothing.
Have we been able to get it right then this call will have been unnecessary.
Tinubu is saying the obvious,
Lets remove the hatred we may have for him and address the Issue, please.

I actually do not hate Tinubu. On the contrary, I respect his political clout.

However, I want Yorubas to think this: Now that we have been delivered from Egypt(PDP), where do we go from here? Is Tinubu really our moses or is he gonna be another Herod? We need to start showing that sophistry we claim to possess and be more ruthless in choosing the right people to serve us - not lead or rule us, but to serve us just as Fashola is doing.

I dont think I will lend my weight to the call for abolition of Senate. On one hand the bi-camera system allows for check and balances. It also ensures that the system and law making cannot easily be compromised by inducement. On the other hand, the fact that the abolition will be carried out by it's selfish beneficiary makes it dead on arrival.

That said, the cost of running this system is huge, especially in the Nigeria context. This cost should be the target for reduction, not the idea. Hence, a gradual and systematic reduction of cost of running the two houses should be implemented, over a course of time. Of course too, this will be resisted, however a popular president, desirous of achieving this, can of course spend some of his political capital built upon the momentum of his victory, take a bite at a chunk of this cost. Done every now and then, the cost of running this system will keep dropping, until a sustainable level is reached.

Desola:

I had initially misread your post and thought you asked yourself a rhetorical question of whether you were daft. Upon re-reading, I realised that you had actually referred to me as daft hence my reply in kind.

You deserved the edited reply.

Now that you've prof-erred a lesson in etiquette, can you now keep it moving. Otherwise you'd be perpetrating the same nuisance you accused me of. Shall we let less daft people continue with the thread now?

U so funny.Well, U're a brilliant lady no doubt going by ur arguments on d thread so far.D only faulty thing was dat post of urs.OK,I apologise 4 saying U'r daft.I just wish U wouldn't repeat such.Enjoy d thread. Cheers!!

Katsumoto:

Correct

For the proper functioning of democracy, an upper house of legislature is required.

That Nigeria filled both houses with thieves from all parties is symptomatic of the Nigerian problem. Fixing the problems with the polity should be a priority; the abolishment of the Senate would serve no purpose and further perpetuate tyranny.

My point exactly! Thanks for putting it so simply.

Gbawe:

The fact is that Tinubu's suggestion amounts to using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. In Nigeria we tend to bastardize processes and systems meant to deliver development by turning them into get-rich-quick schemes that are a drain on the nations resources. We will then start seeking a blanket removal that fails to address the fundamental issues. It is the same concept with the fuel subsidy removal.

It can never be a tenable idea , in the UK, to call for the roles of MP's to be abolished because the nation finds them too expensive to maintain. The argument should not be a monetary one. Since we currently practice a system of Governance that accomodates a legislative arm, we would be better off looking at reforms that can change the cost of maintaining this arm of Government instead of moving for outright abolishment. "Abolishing" the Senate cannot be done without legal ratification and tinubu only makes a hollow call here.

Well said Gbawe... Tinubu should have gotten a better heroic applaud had he called for a restructuring which will help solve some issues bordering on the excesses in funding these two hollow chambers... Neither the senate nor the HORs, non had outlived its usefulness if they could be serious with their responsibilities and stop seeing their position as a medium to enmass wealth.

Gbawe:

Thank you. How has 'stalking' become popular here if not that emotional and hateful posters carry blind hatred and bad belle for others from thread to thread? It is the lowest form of childishness.

No vex jare.It's one of those things.

PointB: I dont think I will lend my weight to the call for abolition of Senate. On one hand the bi-camera system allows for check and balances. It also ensures that the system and law making cannot easily be compromised by inducement. On the other hand, the fact that the abolition will be carried out by it's selfish beneficiary makes it dead on arrival.

That said, the cost of running this system is huge, especially in the Nigeria context. This cost should be the target for reduction, not the idea. Hence, a gradual and systematic reduction of cost of running the two houses should be implemented, over a course of time. Of course too, this will be resisted, however a popular president, desirous of achieving this, can of course spend some of his political capital built upon the momentum of his victory, take a bite at a chunk of this cost. Done every now and then, the cost of running this system will keep dropping, until a sustainable level is reached.

That should be the approach.

The only issue is that thieves will never vote to reduce their loot. The president is unable to do so and only a Machiavellian president could achieve that.

Desola:

I actually do not hate Tinubu. On the contrary, I respect his political clout.

However, I want Yorubas to think this: Now that we have been delivered from Egypt(PDP), where do we go from here? Is Tinubu really our moses or is he gonna be another Herod? We need to start showing that sophistry we claim to possess and be more ruthless in choosing the right people to serve us - not lead or rule us, but to serve us just as Fashola is doing.

We, Yoruba commonwealth, cannot get the service and ledership fitting for our land......we canot be well served within the context of the current political binds and obligations we have towards Nigeria. People like Tinubu are the proper and deserving leaders we need to plug us into the national fold.

When we exist in a regional partition or even a sovereignty then we must reject the Tinubus.

What the rest of the country struggle to achieve in strategy, the Northern states working together can accomplish with a single vote.

If we cannot obtain regional partitioning we must work a plan to break the 2/3 monopoly held by Arewa states.

Katsumoto:

That should be the approach.

The only issue is that thieves will never vote to reduce their loot. The president is unable to do so and only a Machiavellian president could achieve that.

Indeed, thieves will never vote to reduce their loot, that is why a very solid internal democracy is necessary in every political party. This will pave way for the triumph of meritocracy of favoritism and god fatherism. A competent individual who gets to any of those 'hallowed chambers' on merit has a better chance of doing the right thing, that those who rode on the wings of some god fathers.

Yet still, it will take time, and the approach has to be gradual - revolution and Nigeria are not next of kins. Evolution is the key!

Elueme: Well said Gbawe... Tinubu should have gotten a better heroic applaud had he called for a restructuring which will help solve some issues bordering on the excesses in funding these two hollow chambers... Neither the senate nor the HORs, non had outlived its usefulness if they could be serious with their responsibilities and stop seeing their position as a medium to enmass wealth.

There is an aspect of politics concerned entirely with cynically discrediting the opposition or playing to the gallery. Every Politician, even the most effective, embrace this aspect of Politics. Nonetheless, it should not be practiced to the point of fatuous or patronising rhetoric. tinubu would do well to note that.

It is the hideous cost of maintaining the Senate, contributing to our recurrent expenditure running at over 70%, that is the problem. In fact, the issue should be about the profligate and bloated manner with which Nigeria is governed. It is criminal that reccurent expenditure is over 70%. If we look at issues holistically, then it is obvious Senators are not the only culprits.


http://blog.jaluo.com/?p=7197

USA & Nigeria: Re: History of Salary, Compensation and Pension of a US. President

forwarded by Betty Otieno

From: elombah daniel

Re: History of Salary, Compensation and Pension of a US. President

Appendix to Press Release: a Nigerian senator earns more in Salary than Barack Obama and David Cameron

Effective from January 1, 2001, the annual salary of the president of the United States was doubled to $400,000 (N60m) per year, including a $50,000 expense allowance making the president the highest paid public servant. The $400,000 includes everything and $350,000 out of it is taxable.

Below is a table of the earnings of some politicians in the US:Public OfficersEarning per year ($)Earning per year Naira (million)

President 400000.0060.0
V. President 227300.0034.1
Speaker of the House223500.0033.5
Majority Leader (Senate)$193,40029.1
Minority Leader (Senate)$193,40029.1
Other Senators174000.0026.1
Majority Leader (Representative)$193,40029.1
Minority Leader (Representative)$193,40029.1
Cabinet Secretary$193,40029.1

* Exchange rate is set at $1.00 = N150.00*Please note that US Vice President is also the Senate president.Below is a table showing some of the items in the new (reduced) package for the members of the Nigeria National Assembly:

ItemsSenator (N)Representative(N)
Basic salary/Regular allowances11,145,2009,926,062
Furniture3,039,6002,744,454
Motor Vehicle Loan5,066,0004,963,031
Duty Tour Allowance per day23,00021,000
Severance Gratuity6,079,2005,955,637
Estacodes$600$550

Other allowances expressed as percentages of basic salaries are:
Hardship Allowance @ 50%
Constituency allowance @ 200%
Newspaper allowance @ 50%
Wardrobe allowance @ 25%
Recess Allowance @ 10%
Accommodation @ 200%
Utilities @ 30%
Domestic Staff @ 75%
Entertainment @ 30%
Personal Assistance @ 25%
Vehicle Maintenance Allowance @ 75%
Leave Allowance @10%

Analysis

[b] This analyses translate to the fact that in addition to the regular and legitimate salaries and allowances of N17 million ($113,333) and N14.99 million ($99,933) which senators and reps were collecting yearly and the irregular allowance of estacodes, duty tours etc, they were also collecting N192m ($1.28m) and N140m ($0.93m) respectively in illicit quarterly allocation which is not provided for by RMAFC.

Effectively, a Nigerian senator was taking home at least $1.40m ($1.28m quarterly allocations + $0.113m regular salaries and allowances) as against the $0.174m an American senator takes home hence a Nigeria senator earns at least 8 times as much as an American senator and more than 3 times the American president.

Whereas a Senator in the U.S earns N21, 146,000, the same as a member of the House of Representatives; a UK Member of Parliament earn £64,766 (N14, 896,180)

In other words, a Federal Legislator in Nigeria is paid more than double what a Member of British Parliament earns per annum.

Senate President David Mark alone takes N250 million quarterly or N83.33 million per month. Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu gets N150 million per quarter or N50 million a month.

Mark and Ekweremadu earns in 4 months, six times what the UK Prime Minister earns in a year. David Cameron goes home with £190,000 per anum (N43, 700,000)

In a Next newspaper news article entitled ‘An Assembly for looting’ written by Musikilu Mojeed with Elor Nkereuwem, the authors rightly claimed that each of the 360 members of the House of Representatives were getting N35 million in cash money in quarterly allocation while each of the 109 Senators pockets N48 million each. These allocations have however been slashed by 20% to N27 million ($180,000) and N38 million ($253,333) respectively due to the 20% reduction requested by the late president.

The cut has been a source of a major controversy in the House of Representatives in the past few days where members are agitating to jerk up the sum to N42m quarterly at a time when the government is lamenting being broke and when the already signed 2010 budget is being cut by as much as 40%. What a bunch of greedy inhuman lots! The discordance has caused members of the House to force the speaker, Dimeji Bankole to reduce his quarterly allowance from N140m ($933,333) to N100m ($666,667) or from an annual allowance of N560m ($3.73m) to N400m ($2.67m).

According to data obtained from CIA World Factbook, Nigeria has an estimated per capital income (purchasing power parity) of $2,400 in 2009 as against USA’s $46,400. This means that the average earning in the US is 19.33 times as much as in Nigerian.

With the reduced salary package, a Nigeria senator still get paid N11 million ($73,333) in regular salaries and allowances annually and N152m ($1.03m) in four (quarterly) allocation making a total of $1.11m plus irregular allowances like estacodes and duty tour allowances.

The Senate has allocated N1, 024,000,000 as quarterly allowance to its 10 principal officers, known collectively as the Senate leadership - Each of the eight other principal officers take home N78 million every three months or N26 million per month.

Besides, for this year, the Senate has voted N2.6 billion for local travel, N2.45 billion (foreign travel), N1.25 million (security), N2.28 billion (contingency), N750 million (guest houses for Mark and Ekweremadu), and N500 million (establishment of radio and television stations). [/b]

The Executive Branch of government

A Nigerian Minister is paid N31,915,800 (32 million) per year, comprising salary (2,026,400), and benefits plus allowances (N29,889,400)...American secretary (N23,488,000); British Secretary (N29,736,000) German Minister (N30,287,667.20)."

A Nigeria Minister of State gets N30, 538,248 (salary N1, 957,580; allowances N28, 580,666) higher than those of a South African Minister (N7, 704,558);

Compare again to American secretary (N23, 488,000); British Secretary (N29, 736,000) German Minister (N30, 287,667.20)

A local government councillor in Nigeria earn over N1 million per month while a university professor, or a director in a ministry is paid peanuts as take home.

The salary review of political office holders till date revealed that 17,474 officials earned N1.12 trillion yearly of the N1.12 trillion about N94, 959,545,401.20 billion is spent on salaries and N1, 031,654,689,033.18 trillion goes to allowances annually.

While 16,540 out of the political officeholders, as revealed from the document emanating from the Presidency to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are expected to undergo a pay cut in line with former President Yar’adua’s proposal earlier in the year, this is yet to take effect.

The officers are: Federal Executive (472); Federal Legislature (1,152); Local Government Executive (3,096) and local government legislature (8,692).

According to the document, officers taken this large lump sum evidently, approximately 17,500 officials only constitute 0.014 per cent (less than a quarter of a percent) of Nigeria’s estimated 140 million people.

Again, it is common knowledge that the salaries of these officers amount to nothing compared to the juicy fringe benefits that accrue to them.

It could be recalled that ministers, advisers, legislators salaries were all jerked up in 2007 and 2008. While the members of National Assembly got 100% pay rise which would cost Nigerian tax payers N52.4 billion every year, and an additional N15.02 billion as multi-purpose allowances given to the lawmakers on quarterly basis, the package accruing to the federal executives had jumped by over 1,000 percent to N98 billion due to their allowances as compared N65.5 billion paid the federal executives during the last regime.

The last time Nigerian workers ever had an enhanced salary package was in 2000 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo announced the N5, 500 and N7, 500 minimum wages both for state and federal workers respectively.

Comparison of the Salaries of Politicians vis-a-vis other professions in USA and Nigeria

The politicians’ salaries listed above might look big to you but if you look at what is obtainable in the society, you’ll surely get the drift. I’d like to compare the earning of these top political positions with those of surgeons in America.

According to ehow.com, several factors such as experience, employer, location, gender and degrees may affect the earnings of a heart surgeon. Salaries discussed here are median earnings from 2009.

• Degree: A cardiac surgeon with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree will earn an average yearly salary of $292,774. If he has completed a Ph.D., however, the annual salary may rise to $400,000 on average.

It can be inferred from this that a surgeon earn as much as the president or even more. And in nearly all cases a surgeon earns more than the VP and other public office holders.

In the US, top attorneys in a top legal firm earn as much as $500,000 annually, a top journalist (like Christiane Amanpour) earns over a $1m, Wall street guys and top business executives earn $ millions in salaries, benefit, stock options etc. Top Sportsmen and Entertainers earn tens of $ million in salaries, endorsements, advertisements, profit sharing etc. Top CEOs also earn tens and in exceptional cases, hundreds of $ million in salaries, benefit, stock options and profit sharing.

If you consider the fact that many top politicians were also top earners before joining politics, you’d be able to understand the sacrifice intended.

The annual salary of the Surgeon General is about $190,000.

It’s a known fact Michelle Obama, the US first lady was earning much more as a hospital administrator in Chicago than her husband, President Barack Obama was earning as a US senator. According to the couple’s 2006 income tax return, her salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals as Vice President for Community and External Affairs, while her husband had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate.

In Nigeria, political offices are often seen as a get-rich-quick avenue because the legitimate salaries and benefits are enormous and are probably unobtainable elsewhere in the system. Another reason is that politicians can also meddle with the public funds with impunity. Candidly, public officers do not differentiate between public and private funds and this is probably the main cause of the do-or-die politics. All arms of government collaborate in the looting causing no checks and balances.

After the late former president Umaru Yar’Adua complained about the nation's dwindling revenues and that politicians were being overpaid and causing his government a financial stress, there was an approved reduced remunerative package for the politicians. Based on the this, each of the 107 senators (excluding the Senate President and his deputy) would be collecting N11 million ($73,333) in basic salaries and regular allowances every year while a member of the House of Representatives would get N9.9 million ($66,000). Previously, a senator was getting N17 million ($113,333) while a House member was collecting N14.99 million ($99,933).

The regular allowances are accommodation, car maintenance, domestic staff, personal assistant, entertainment, leave, utilities, newspaper/periodicals and constituency. These figures do not include non-regular allowances-- vehicle loan, furniture allowance, estacodes, and duty tour allowance and severance gratuity--which are paid separately to each legislator as they become due.

From a previous salary of about N10,000, a police constable now earns between N22,000 and N27,000 depending on his length of service and accommodation plan, while a sergeant’s pay has gone up from N15,000 to about N30,000. And from a pay slip of about N22,000, a Police inspector now earns at least N50,000 monthly.

Let me give an insight of the monthly salary of Nigerian police officers:

Constable = N22, 000 (£98) - N27, 000 (£120.27)
Corporal = N27, 000 (£120.27) - N28, 000 (£124.73)
Sergeant = N31, 000 (£138.09)
Inspector = N50, 000 (£222.72) - N52, 000 (£231.63)
Assistant Superintendent of Police = N80, 000 (£ 356.36) - N83, 000(£369.72) depending on whether he is a one-star ASP or two-star ASP.
A deputy Superintendent of Police = N90, 000 (£400.90)
A full superintendent = N100, 000 (£445.45)

In some states, while the state government claims not to have money to pay workers, it finds it convenient to pay politicians hundreds of thousands as monthly salary for doing practically nothing than looting the state blind. How can a state government justify the over N300, 000 salary paid to a ward councilor (and over N60, 000 to a councilor’s wife) while the highest paid teachers collects less than 30 percent and the least paid teacher collects less than 4 percent of a councilor’s pay. The total annual salaries of councilors in a state like Osun State (running to over N1.4 billion) are enough to employ 2240 workers on N50, 000 monthly salaries. This is pure robbery!

Yet, they reject the payment of N52, 200 minimum wages that the national leadership of NLC and TUC are fighting for.

Other Illegalities

Of all these allowances, the most intriguing is the constituency allowance. What is constituency allowance? You may ask. It is an allowance approved by Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The constituency allowance as approved by RMAFC is supposed to be 200% of the basic salary for politician but in reality, they are paid far more than that. The major flaw of this allowance is that the law does not require the politicians to file reports of how the money is spent.

The executives are not left behind, infact, the legislative plunder is like a child’s play compared to what the executives are illegally taking away from the system.

In addition to their constituency allowances, It is no longer a news that governors collect billions of naira as security votes which are unaccounted for and which makes everyone wonder which security are they providing with the money.

According to Davidson Iriekpen in an article titled, Security Vote - for Whose Security? “Every year, billions of naira is allegedly squandered under the guise of security votes. The funds suspected to be illegal, are purportedly being used to provide security for the president, governors and their domains, whereas they are being transferred into personal bank accounts. In spite of these huge sums of money, killings, kidnappings, cultism and other security threats are on the increase across the states. At the federal level, funds are allocated to the Ministry of Defence for the upkeep and welfare of the armed forces and the police, yet billions are still voted for the President as security votes whose impact is unknown.”

Many of the governors appropriate the sum ranging from several hundreds of millions of naira to billions monthly as security vote. And also according to human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, security vote is an illegality and irresponsibility on the part of the country's leaders. He condemned the governors for appropriating security votes to them even when they know that it is unconstitutional. He also argued that the governors who indulge in security votes rob the society of essential resources.

In a report by RMAFC chairman, Hamman Tukur to the presidency, "He said the Federal, State and Local Governments flout the remuneration provisions made by the commission through frivolous foreign trips, arbitrary appointment of aides and use of excessively large motorcades.

He further said “based on the constitution, RMAFC has the final say on the remuneration package of National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly members, while a law need to be enacted based on the commission's proposals regarding the pay packages of executive and judicial office holders.”

Notwithstanding this warning, this illegality thrives from the presidency to the council. As the president takes billions of naira in monthly security vote, he also take several millions in constituency allowance.

Conclusion

Past surveys of salaries and benefits of public office holders from the Baltic to the Bahamas, the Americas and the Far East and everywhere else, has showed that Ministers and Federal Legislators in Nigeria are the highest paid in the world, despite the country being among the poorest in terms of per capita income, security, social provision and living standards. On the other hand, Nigerian workers are one of the lowest paid in the world.

The Nigerian Minister earns more than his American, British or German counterpart, and of course enjoys pecks of office those ones cannot even dare dream of - for doing next to NOTHING!!!

Likewise a Senator and his House of Representatives counterpart in Nigeria receive much more than their contemporaries elsewhere.

Do you know even any local government Chairman in Nigeria who does not own houses and fleet of cars?

Nigeria is a relatively poor country and there is no justification for a Nigerian politician earning much more than his American counterpart while others in other callings earn a fraction of what is obtainable in the US.

I think it’s about time we work out a ceiling system for the remunerations of public servants and tie them to what is obtainable in certain professions. And until we get this right, our politics will continue to be a do-or-die affair with the greedy lots dominating the air as their only attractions are the perks of the offices

I don't know if its the Senate or the House of Reps. that need to go,but Nigeria definitely does not need both duplicating their functions and costing this country a whopping 25% of its resources to maintain.

Again, the number of those Reps is too much. Imagine, United States of America with 50 States, more than 300 million people and an economy of $15 trillion dollars has only 100 Senators!!!
I said only 100 Senators for 50 American states !
Nigeria does not need to have more than one senator per state. Making a total of 36 Senators for the country.We know we are wasting our resources maintaining 109 Senators (Even Abuja, a federal capital territory has a senator too!) and 360 House of Representative Members.Yet, Nigerian Senators and House of Rep. members are the highest paid in the world inspite of Nigeria being amongst the poorest countries in the world per capita.A Nigerian senator earn more than 8 times above an American Senator, inspite of USA being the richest country on earth! It is the height of looting a nation in the name of democracy.Imagine the billions of dollars Nigeria shall save every year if we had a unicameral parliament made up of 36 senators, no more, no less.

mr tinubu wants to score a cheap political point, the same way atiku is advocating for state police and regional system of govt. why didn't they say this when they were in power.
And to show his (tinubu) seriousness, let him withdraw all ACN members from the senate. olodo.

Everyone serving in the Nigerian House of Rep and Senate is a BIG THIEF regardless of political affiliation.

None of them is complaining about the huge cost of maintaining a bunch of incompetent, visionless, and value destroying criminals.

You Nigerians are very patient and gullible folks.

Something truly needs to give. Peg the allowance of Senators at US$10,000 per annum (GROSS) and the noise will stop.

PointB:

Personally I understand you, and I am not asking you to agree with my line of thought. I am only interested in the fact that you appear more critical a thinker, unlike the many mindless Tinubu choir. So I quite appreciate your candor, in stating that Tinubu is not fit lead Yoruba, a role he is positioning himself for, while others, encouraged by the likes of Gbawe are buying into his gradual usurpation of something reserved for the revered.

At the peak of Obasanjo power, the worst of the lot held sway as Governors in the SW region - no thanks to the daylight rigging enthroned by him. Compared to Obj, GEJ is a saint, at least for not encouraging rigging in the last election in the SW for starters. GEJ could have used Obj template, and rigged in anyone he fancies, and then stare down any resistance with AK47 wielding soldiers, or hound hard nut with EFCC - you know the drill!. But he chose a different course - fairness; a course the likes or Tinubu take credit for. So Tinubu did not rescue SW from PDP, free and fair election, encouraged and enthroned by GEJ you strongly detest did that! That he is able to operate freely and move around is simply because GEJ is not as vindictive as Obj.

Now the question you, and other thinking Yorubas should be asking is: Where exactly is Tinubu leading SW, toward Buhari CPC ala Akintola, or his own burgeoning empire? And where does SW intend to be, having been 'rescued' from PDP? What exactly is SW integration? Is it an integration of Tinubu numerous companies and drain pipes, and puppet Governors? Or a coalescing of independent minded free people and leaders of SW? And I still ask, that a SW is not a Speaker of the House is it GEJ or Tinubu's fault? What commitment did Tinubu extract from Tambuwal (evil PDP) to sell the position allocated to SW to him? if it is politics, what is in it for SW?

Look, you are simply a debased liar. Your shameless attempt at sucking up above is nauseating. Don't do it lying against me simply because you want a cringeworthy alliance with someone you percieve shares a mindless hatred of others with you. Show where I have touted Tinubu as leader of the Yorubas. Most yorubas , unlike you, are not feudalistically and mentally shackled with the concept of supreme leader. He is a Leader of the ACN and politically astute Yorubas knows what that really translates to.

It is you and others of your ilk who are always looking for one man to worship, deify and bow to. It is an obsession with you and you even do it on this forum. Tinubu is only important in so far as he helped rid the SW of the killers and thugs of OBJ and has replaced them with an undoubtedly better crop of leaders. Like him or hate him, you would be a born liar (you are anyway) to deny that Tinubu has consistently endorsed the ambition of progressive men everywhere with 'loaded' CV's and proven history of leadership.

Your snivelling attempt at currying favour here only show that you are still mentally stuck with the demigod-model of politics that has ruined Nigeria with its focus on strong men rather than strong institutions. To that end, intelligent Yorubas, and even Igbos, who see and appreciate what matter cannot be taking in by your paranoid and parochial talk against Tinubu.

Nigerians live in States. We don't live in tinubu's house . If he continues to support men like Akeredolu everywhere, do you think genuinely bright Yorubas , who see what is important, will have a problem with him? You can remain here with your mock tears for the SW. One thing is that you cannot get anyone to hate Tinubu when everyone sees him replacing undeserving mediocrities with genuinely progressive men. That is what matters ultimately.

Your feudalism will not allow you to see what the most politcally sophisticated Nigerian see. We are past the days where mortal men were regional demi-gods. We don't need that anymore. Issues are now more about the intangibles like the enshrinement of a system of good Governance and continuity. You can stay here trying to whip up sentiments against Tinubu with your foolish scaremongering only the gulluble will be taking in by.

The Yorubas don't do supreme leader. Tinubu has his use as a politically leaders. Get that into your thick head. We are, first and foremost, concerned about good leadership. Indeed in that respect, it can be said that Tinubu has not done badly at all. Where others condemned the SW into the hands of thugs, Tinubu has supported those who, unequivocally, are professionally solid and proven leaders with minds of their own. In short, Omoluabis.

Good luck selling the "Tinubu wants to become emperor of the SW" to the gullible when Yoruba people show they have moved beyond that. As long as Tinubu continues to use Party aparatus and wealth to support good leaders in the region, then hate him all you want. The Yorubas know what Nigeria is to pragmatically understand Tinubu is needed. Heck some disillusioned Yorubas, with a misplaced sense of what is important, can join your thinking.

You are inconsequential at the end of the day to the Yoruba project. We are different to others. We appreciate Tinubu but know what he is. Like someone mentioned earlier, we are not practicing regional Governance so your talk matters nought. When we get to that level the Yorubas will know how to handle Tinubu. For now, take your scaremongering away and let folks focus on what matters - good governance where Nigerians live in i.e their respective States.