Six months after his conviction by a Federal Capital Territory High Court, The Nigerian Senate still pays Senator Joshua Dariye allowances to the tune of N85.5million.

In a report by The Punch, Dariye is still receiving the N750, 000 salary and N13.5m monthly running cost from the National Assembly.

Investigations by The PUNCH revealed that Dariye, who represents Plateau-Central Senatorial District, was still receiving the allowances because his seat had yet to be declared vacant by the leadership of the National Assembly.

Dariye, who was governor of Plateau State from 1999 to 2007, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an FCT High Court for embezzling N1.162bn.

He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in prison, but his sentence was reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal which upheld his conviction last month.

The ex-governor had even made a non-refundable payment of N8m for the All Progressives Congress’ Senate forms but was screened out by the party in September.

An aide to Dariye, Mr Christopher John, said the convict and his aides were still receiving their full allowances.

He said Dariye had appealed his conviction at the Supreme Court and it would be unfair for his seat to be declared vacant when he had not yet exploited all legal channels.

John said:

“He has already appealed the case; so he is still a senator pending the decision of the Supreme Court.

“It is right for us to still be receiving salaries because his case has not ended. There are many other senators having issues with the courts like Senator Attah Idoko from Kogi State. Judgment was given in favour of AVM Isaac Alfa but since Idoko has appealed the case, he is still serving and attending sittings as a senator pending the outcome of the case.

“Aides should still be receiving salary because Dariye is still a senator. And he is still receiving his allowances and will continue to do so until the case is closed.”

The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said he could not confirm if Dariye was still receiving allowances or not.

Olaniyonu, however, said the former governor’s seat could not be declared vacant until the leadership of the Senate received official communication from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

When asked if the Senate was not aware of the highly publicised conviction of Dariye, Olaniyonu said the legislative arm of government does not act based on media reports but on official communication.

He said:

“The Senate President has no power to declare any seat vacant except he is presented with a request. We have to receive official communication from those who prosecuted him. We cannot read a report in the newspapers and go ahead to declare his seat vacant.

“Even if a senator dies, his family would inform the leadership of the Senate or senators would go and pay a condolence visit and officially confirm that he is dead and then the Independent National Electoral Commission will be notified that the seat is vacant.

“Those who convicted Senator Dariye never informed us that he had been convicted. In fact, we even read that he bought the APC ticket to contest for re-election. The AGF prosecuted him and he ought to write the Senate so that the seat can be declared vacant and another election conducted.”

But the Director for Information at the National Assembly, Mr Jerry Agada, said there was no court order or directive from the Senate President to stop Dariye’s salary and so it could not be stopped.

Agada said it was possible for Dariye’s salary to be withheld pending the outcome of the case in court but the National Assembly Commission had no such powers to stop it.

He said:

“The procedure of the National Assembly is that a person’s seat must be declared vacant before he is no longer a senator. Based on the latest information we have, they said he had taken the matter to the Supreme Court.

“On our own, we have no power to stop the salary or allowances of any senator whose seat has not been declared vacant. Our intention was that his pay would be put on hold pending the outcome of the case but do we even have such powers?

“He remains a senator in the eyes of the law. It is not a matter of morality now but a matter of law. The power to declare any seat vacant resides in the Senate President or the Speaker.”

https://lailasnews.com/senate-pays-n85-5million-as-dariye-allowances-in-prison

Our judicial system is quite flawed and our lawyers are having a field day exploiting those flaws by delaying court processes and proceedings.. Watch how ZonBs who can't read or understand will rush in to scream blue murder on d National Assembly

The article answered the questions raised..

Nigeria only natural disasters is her government.both the executive, legislature and judiciary.

We need total overhauling.

THIS IS NIGERIA, LOOK AT HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING CRIME



EVERYBODY BE CRIMINAL

There would be no need for cut throat competition,or for the grab-grab of those who rob the people because they are at the top..Buhari is trying ..but people are not supporting..

I prefer jungle justice than useless nigeria court, small case they take them upto 10 yrs, every time adjustment

Saraki house of confused corruption. Senate was quick to pay the salary of a convicted felon but unable to pay the emoluments of its support staff. Senate has no power to declare his seat vacant and as such cannot stop his salary. Born fools! So, where did Saraki derive the power to stop Senator Omo-Agege's salary?
Saraki has no benevolence or charity in his soul. He must be having a cut of the pie
Saraki, the face of corruption

Just look at the nonsense I'm seeing this early morning. . There was a country called nigeria

This is Nigeria by falz lol

This is part of my achievements in this administration. We pay good amounts of money to those in custody, you can ask El-zakzaky and Joshua Dariye. The PDP administration never paid such amount to prisoners because they were very stingy.


If you want to enjoy my administration, just go to prison and you will earn good money than you've ever made as a free man..


~ProsidentBuhari

Can you imagine?

I think the foremost problem of Nigeria is its judicial system.

This Dariye's case could take 20yrs and those allowances won't stop coming.

It's too early to post this type of news op. We all know Nigeria is messed up but start with good news in the morning and then this type of news later in the day.
Senate that's owing her workers is paying a convict? God whom did we disappoint in this country

This is interesting.
No wonder politics in Nigeria is do or die.
It's simply payment till and after Jesus comes.
I hear

damiloladuke:
Six months after his conviction by a Federal Capital Territory High Court, The Nigerian Senate still pays Senator Joshua Dariye allowances to the tune of N85.5million.

In a report by The Punch, Dariye is still receiving the N750, 000 salary and N13.5m monthly running cost from the National Assembly.

Investigations by The PUNCH revealed that Dariye, who represents Plateau-Central Senatorial District, was still receiving the allowances because his seat had yet to be declared vacant by the leadership of the National Assembly.

Dariye, who was governor of Plateau State from 1999 to 2007, was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an FCT High Court for embezzling N1.162bn.

He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years in prison, but his sentence was reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal which upheld his conviction last month.

The ex-governor had even made a non-refundable payment of N8m for the All Progressives Congress’ Senate forms but was screened out by the party in September.

An aide to Dariye, Mr Christopher John, said the convict and his aides were still receiving their full allowances.

He said Dariye had appealed his conviction at the Supreme Court and it would be unfair for his seat to be declared vacant when he had not yet exploited all legal channels.

John said:

“He has already appealed the case; so he is still a senator pending the decision of the Supreme Court.

“It is right for us to still be receiving salaries because his case has not ended. There are many other senators having issues with the courts like Senator Attah Idoko from Kogi State. Judgment was given in favour of AVM Isaac Alfa but since Idoko has appealed the case, he is still serving and attending sittings as a senator pending the outcome of the case.

“Aides should still be receiving salary because Dariye is still a senator. And he is still receiving his allowances and will continue to do so until the case is closed.”

The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said he could not confirm if Dariye was still receiving allowances or not.

Olaniyonu, however, said the former governor’s seat could not be declared vacant until the leadership of the Senate received official communication from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

When asked if the Senate was not aware of the highly publicised conviction of Dariye, Olaniyonu said the legislative arm of government does not act based on media reports but on official communication.

He said:

“The Senate President has no power to declare any seat vacant except he is presented with a request. We have to receive official communication from those who prosecuted him. We cannot read a report in the newspapers and go ahead to declare his seat vacant.

“Even if a senator dies, his family would inform the leadership of the Senate or senators would go and pay a condolence visit and officially confirm that he is dead and then the Independent National Electoral Commission will be notified that the seat is vacant.

“Those who convicted Senator Dariye never informed us that he had been convicted. In fact, we even read that he bought the APC ticket to contest for re-election. The AGF prosecuted him and he ought to write the Senate so that the seat can be declared vacant and another election conducted.”

But the Director for Information at the National Assembly, Mr Jerry Agada, said there was no court order or directive from the Senate President to stop Dariye’s salary and so it could not be stopped.

Agada said it was possible for Dariye’s salary to be withheld pending the outcome of the case in court but the National Assembly Commission had no such powers to stop it.

He said:

“The procedure of the National Assembly is that a person’s seat must be declared vacant before he is no longer a senator. Based on the latest information we have, they said he had taken the matter to the Supreme Court.

“On our own, we have no power to stop the salary or allowances of any senator whose seat has not been declared vacant. Our intention was that his pay would be put on hold pending the outcome of the case but do we even have such powers?

“He remains a senator in the eyes of the law. It is not a matter of morality now but a matter of law. The power to declare any seat vacant resides in the Senate President or the Speaker.”

https://lailasnews.com/senate-pays-n85-5million-as-dariye-allowances-in-prison

This is what this useless country is known for, corruption and stealing.

so in four years, a senator receives a basic salary of 648million naira apart from bonuses... little wonder our governors retire to the senate. we need better polices to make such positions unattractive to thieves, strip them of all immunity, and a limit to terms as a senator or speaker.

Buhari why
Jubril why

What did we do to deserve such
Corruption corruption corruption

Just kill him simple

How can a shytehole country afford to pay such monthly largesse to some nitwits?
That is almost $40,000 USD a month!

It has finished!


Ridiculous, scandalous, pepperous and ingredients!
And one maggots will come here to defend nonsense.

“The Senate President has no power to declare any seat vacant except he is presented with a request. We have to receive official communication from those who prosecuted him. We cannot read a report in the newspapers and go ahead to declare his seat vacant.

Oro rirun! So if u don't see your colleague at work for six months, you don't need to call his family or close associates to find out what problem is but if you read in the newspaper that DSS wants to arrest saraki, you will be swift in action. So what he could do is to continue crediting his salary account until mum's call. No wonder we have ghost workers every where in the country, courtesy NA.
Even the aides u r paying 13.5m monthly for not working, can not tell u the whereabout of their principal. This is one of the reasons I don't blame bubu sometimes when he disobeys court orders, most of our leaders are animals.


#ShitholeNA

Is it my fault, or jubril’s?
Maybe jubril also wants to add this to his empty list of achievements, because he has already added Zaczaky’s feeding allowances to the list. Nonsense

Yeye country

Emmabraham:
Buhari why
Jubril why

What did we do to deserve such
Corruption corruption corruption

Just kill him simple

its separation of power and nothing concern the executive arm from this that means blame the legislative arm (Saraki) on this hmmmm.

And they cant pay Minimum wage...........abeg make nobody quote me.....my running stomach don start again..

oyin44:
There would be no need for cut throat competition,or for the grab-grab of those who rob the people because they are at the top..Buhari is trying ..but people are not supporting..

Abeg leave Buhari out of this. He hasn't done anything to deter corruption. All of the na the same.

We are all witness to the numerous corrupt practices right under his nose.

Park well

Something's not right with this

Little wonder why the Senate has turned to a retirement home and hospice for governors and insatiable politicians. Isn't there a way to compel these people to reduce their allowances!!