Quote:
"They are shocked to find that the N10 million allowance recently given to them by the leadership of the National Assembly is fast running out, no thanks to acute housing crisis. They are kicking against the N40 million allowance for housing and furniture that is on the way for them, arguing that the minimum cost that is required for their status is about N150 million."

They have started again. "their status"?

Reminds one of Obama's rise to the top - as a senator his apartment in Washington was so bad his wife, Michele, saw it once and vowed never to live in it. He is now president of the world's superpower.

N150 million would be $1 million for housing and furniture. We don't have a government of the people just yet. They are spending all our resources doing nothing in Abuja.

http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php

Saturday, 02 July 2011 00:00 Wole Oladimeji Hits: 38 .

MANY new members of the House of Representatives are currently stranded, and bitter. Reason: They are shocked to find that the N10 million allowance recently given to them by the leadership of the National Assembly is fast running out, no thanks to acute housing crisis. They are kicking against the N40 million allowance for housing and furniture that is on the way for them, arguing that the minimum cost that is required for their status is about N150 million.

Many of them have found it difficult to settle down with their families because the N10 million at hand, and the N40 million being expected are a far cry from the minimum of N100 million that they require to get “befitting” houses in preferred areas of the FCT and the money required for furniture,

Since the House resumed sitting on 28th of June, 2011, many of them have been complaining of lack of accommodation in Abuja and are either squatting with families and friends, or staying in hotels.

Some of them are renewing the clamour for the revocation of the sale of Apo Quarters to the 2003 set of law makers by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during the ill-fated Third Term saga.

Some of the new members who pleaded anonymity told the Nigerian Compass on Saturday that if the situation continued, they might have to start boycotting House sittings.

“Honestly, we never thought that the situation would as bad as this. There is no provision for new members. How do we continue to wait, bearing in mind the peculiar nature of the capital city?,” one of them said.

Even the office complexes for the new members are also in acute shortage. A new one, under construction, is expected to be completed in August, this year.

But for now, many of the legislators are moving from one hotel to another depending on the prices and the security. The argument of the new members is that there is nothing bad in selling the houses in the spirit of housing-for-all. But the proceeds from the sale ought to be in a revolving scheme that would result in the building of more houses for incoming legislators.

A lawmaker told the Nigerian Compass on Saturday that a probe might soon be instituted into how the money made from the sale of houses to the Class of 2003 legislators was utilised.

The lawmakers shortlly after their inaugurtation were given N10 million to settle down.

They will soon be given N40 million for furniture allowance and housing, but a large number of the members are kicking against the sum on the ground that it is too small to meet their class in Abuja.

Some od the lawmakers are currently staying at the TRANSCORP Hilton Hotel while some others are at Sheraton Hotel, Chelsea, Nicon Luxury where the least rate is N15,000 per night. A two-bedroom apartment which they regard as unbefitting the status of a federal lawmaker costs N65 million, while the minimum cost of the houses they are loking at is

Although, some of the banks are ready to give as much as N100 million loan for them to secure good accommodations, some of them have been warned against any such course because the interest could be burdensome to them at the end of the four years.

They are also being very careful not take dangerous steps, more importantly because of the problem of financial mismanagement that rocked the immediate past leadership.