Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 declared that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio superintends over a National Assembly (NASS) that undermines the Revenue Mobilisation And Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) in fixing its own humongous salaries and allowances while Nigerians are hungry, poor and insecure.
He said that it is, however, ironic that the National Assembly 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 RMFAC, which is the commission that is constitutionally empowered to fix salaries and allowances of public officials, including members of the NASS.
Atiku, who stated these against the backdrop of the revelation by Senator Sumaila Kawu, who courageously stepped up to assert that his monthly take home is N21 million in allowances apart from about N1 million in salary.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, said the revelation by Senator Kawu vindicated former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s accusation that it was immorally wrong of the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led National Assembly to fix own salaries and allowances in contravention of the laws of Nigeria.
A statement by Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to the former Vice President, noted that the position of Senator Sumaila Kawu not only confirmed what Obasanjo said, but, also puts a lie to the official response of the Senate that it does not fix its own salaries and allowances.
He expressed the hope that the ‘chopping’ Senator Akpabio will not suspend Senator Kawu like Senator Ningi or strip him of his position like Senator Ndume
In the words of Atiku; “In an institution populated with lackeys with no balls to hold the reckless executive to account, Senator Sumaila’s courageous act is worthy of commendation.
“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.
“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,” Atiku said.
