Nigeria’s Lawmakers Earn Highest Pay In The World - Sagay

LAGOS, July 27, (THEWILL) - A renowned scholar of law, Professor Itse Sagay today said Nigerian lawmakers at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly are the highest paid legislators in the globe, saying their salaries and allowances represent a cruel anomaly in the country’s democratic governance.

The professor disclosed this at a lecture titled; ‘Legislating for the Common Good: Contemporary Issues and Perspectives’ to mark the 47th birthday of Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Opeyemi Bamidele.

According to Sagay, the anomaly is negative and a breach of public trust. "A senator earns N240 million ($1.7 million) in salaries and allowances while his House of representative counterpart earns about N204 million ($1.45 million) per annum," Sagay said.

The Law Professor said an American senator "earns $174, 000 while a UK parliamentarian earns about $64, 000 per annum, which is very low compared to that of Nigerian lawmakers when compared with what their colleagues earn in the United States and United Kingdom."

"In spite of the dismal standard of living, poverty of the country and low income per capita of the country, Nigerian legislators in Abuja have awarded themselves the highest salaries and allowances in the world."

Sagay alleged that they were in the National Assembly to engage in the pursuit of self interest instead of serving the people of this country.

Continuing, he said, "In 2009, the federal legislators received a total of N102.8 billion comprising N11.8 billion as salaries and N90.96 billion as non taxable allowances," thus bemoaning the outrageous pay.

He described it as a tragic situation that is clearly unsustainable, saying the anomaly "is seriously endangering our democracy."

He argued that it was debatable to spend $1.7 million on each of 109 senators and $1.45 million on each of 360 members of the House of Representatives when the President of the richest country in the world, Mr. Barrack Obama earned just $400, 000 per annum.

He said Nigerian Senate President earned N88.33 million per month while his deputy earned N50 million, comparing their pay with what US President Barrack Obama who "earns $400,000 per annum while British Prime Minister David Cameron goes home with 190,000 pounds."

He explained that the Senate "allocates N1.24 billion as quarterly allowances to its 10 principal officers known collectively as Senate leadership while each of the other principal officers earn N78 million every three months.

"The tragic state of affairs is clearly unsustainable. Those engaged in this feeding frenzy are endangering our democracy," he warned.