THE Senate has replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying that it was not involved in determining its own salaries or receiving special fiscal packages from the Presidency.
In a statement on Sunday by the Chairman m Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, APC, Ekiti South, the Senate described the allegations as an attempt to “crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.”
Senator Adaramodu who emphasized that no Senator has received any financial patronage from the Presidency, clarified that the constituency projects often linked to the legislature are merely suggested and nominated by Senators, following practices common in other democracies worldwide.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had said that it was immoral for the members of the national assembly to determine their salaries and allowances.
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Obasanjo who spoke on Friday when he hosted some members of the house of representatives in Abeokuta, the capital city of Ogun state, had said that it was the duty of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) to determine what public officeholders earn, adding, “Look at your case, with all due respect.”
Responding further, Adaramodu said that to set the record straight, the Senate stressed that it only receives the salary allocated to it by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission, in strict accordance with constitutional provisions.
The Senate challenged anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts, describing any suggestion that the National Assembly fixes its own salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”
The Senate further explained that “the Executive arm of government, through its various Ministries and agencies, is responsible for awarding contracts for the constituency projects. The funds allocated for these projects, vary depending on the number of constituencies in each state and the intention is to ensure that every region of Nigeria benefits from federal resources”.
As the country enters what some describe as a “season of political pontificating, Adaramodu who assured the public that the 10th Assembly remains a responsible and responsive chamber, reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the economy and growth of Nigeria, insisting that it only receives what is constitutionally allocated to it and would never seek additional perks from other branches of government.