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Salary fixing allegation: Akpabio’s NASS undermines RMFAC- Atiku

Sulaiman Umar
16 Aug, 2024
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The dust raised over allegation of salary fixing by members of the National Assembly is yet to settle as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Godswill Akpabio – led legislative arm of government of undermining the roles of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

He said it is appealing to hear that federal lawmakers allocated to themselves humongous salaries and allowances while millions of common Nigerians wallow in abject poverty amidst heightened insecurity.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said this in reaction to revelation by a Kano State senator on how much legislators earn.

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In a statement issued by his media office on Wednesday, Atiku said “Senator Sumaila Kawu has courageously stepped up to assert that his monthly take home is N21 million in allowances apart from about N1 million in salary”.

He said this has vindicated former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s accusation that it was immorally wrong of the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led NASS to fix own salaries and allowances in contravention of the laws of Nigeria.

“The position of Sen. Sumaila (I do hope that the chopping Sen. Akpabio will not suspend him like Ningi or strip him of his position like Ndume) not only confirms what Obasanjo said, it also puts a lie to the official response of the Senate that it does not fix its own salaries and allowances.

“In an institution populated with lackeys with no balls to hold the reckless executive to account, Sen. Sumaila’s courageous act is worthy of commendation,” Atiku said.

“It is, however, ironic that the NASS which is saddled with the task of making laws for the good governance of Nigeria, is the one that is breaking the law and undermining the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), which is the commission that is constitutionally empowered to fix salaries and allowances of public officials, including members of the NASS.

“It is the responsibility of the RMFAC to man up and implement the law as it relates to fixing the salaries and allowances of public officials.

“Akpabio and his “chop (ping))” gang can now see why the hungry and justifiably angry Nigerians took to the streets for 10 days on the#EndBackGovernanceProtest to #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria.”

Atiku, however, urged aides of President Bola Tinubu to refrain from use of propaganda but accept the inadequacies of the APC- led administration.

He said “and for the Dele Alakes of this world, who has stepped up the propaganda machinery of the President Bola Tinubu administration, the “Movement” he alluded to were not focused on forcing a change of government, but to sack the hunger in their stomachs caused by the trial-and-error policies of this administration.”

culled from Daily Times Nigeria