Angry Youths Storm N'Assembly, Protest Lawmakers' Salaries

A group of protesting youths Thursday stormed the National Assembly to protest the salaries and allowances of members, saying their annual budget of N150 billion was outrageous.
According to the group's spokesperson, Mr. Yemi Adamolekun, the N150 billion annual budget for 469 lawmakers was unjustifiable amid the prevalent abject poverty ravaging the nation.

She also alleged that most of the federal lawmakers have completely alienated themselves from their constituents, whom she said, voted them into office by deliberately avoiding contacts with them.

The protesters also expressed displeasure that the lawmakers had allegedly failed to make public their votes on the recent constitution amendment exercise, notably on the controversial Section 29 (4B) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

However, while addressing the protesters, Senate's spokesman, Eyinnaya Abaribe, challenged the youths to a debate on the salary of lawmakers.

According to him, most Nigerians, especially the youths, were either ignorant or misinformed, saying the protesters erred by thinking that the National Assembly consisted of only 469 lawmakers.

He explained that the annual budget of the National Assembly went beyond the salaries and allowances of lawmakers to include the expenditure of civil servants and other ancillary bodies that constituted the institution.
He also pledged to make public his pay slips to correct perceived erroneous beliefs that lawmakers' earnings were huge.

"The National Assembly budget is just three per cent of the national budget; three per cent of the other two arms of government. The waste is from the 97 per cent represented by the other two arms of government," he said.
He also debunked claims by the protesters that lawmakers had distanced themselves from their constituents.

"All Nigerians have a representative in the National Assembly. My constituents in Abia South senatorial district, which I represent, know me and I am accountable to them. It is the responsibility of Nigerians to go to each of their representatives in the National Assembly and ask for their constituency contacts. You should know those who are representing you; my constituents have my contact.

"Also, there is nothing hidden about the constitution review exercise. The recording of the voting is open. There is nothing hidden because it was done openly. All the media houses covering the legislature have the details. There is nothing to hide in the National Assembly," he said.

Also speaking, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who said the grievances of the protesters were not misplaced, added that he was part of the process that led to the evolvement of Freedom of Information (FoI) Act as a former President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). He urged Nigerians to seek right information from the appropriate quarters.

"The protests are in order as people must be allowed to express their views. I appreciate it when people ask questions as it is part of the quest for good governance. But I can tell you that none of us is earning beyond N1 million," he said.

On their protest on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adeyemi told the protesters that ASUU should understand that most of their demands could not be immediately met, adding: "We have appropriated the 2013 budget and it is being implemented. We are even approaching the end of the fiscal year. Whatever they want can only be incorporated in 2014 Appropriation."

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/angry-youths-storm-nassembly-protest-lawmakers-salaries/160056/

When will the NLC, TUC, ASUU, NASU etc also protest the huge amount paid to the bench warmers in the National Assembly

Lolz the spelling of the SINATORs got me cracked up.

Damn I missed the thing by a few hours. The job of a lawmaker MUST be made a part time one. That's the next level. God punish devil and all his children.

God punish all the nass members.

Heard they get hardship allowance