Former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Monday Onyekachi Ubani, has flayed the former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, for saying that the salaries of members of the National Assembly have no effect on the economy.
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He also called them parasites and leaking baskets, whose interests are mainly for their selfish gain and not for the good of Nigerians and Nigeria.
Ubani who stated this on Sunday in his statement titled “THE ARROGANCE OF SENATOR ALI NDUME,” made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, described Ndume’s utterances as insensitive and provocative.
He said: “I watched and listened with shock to my marrows when Senator Ali Ndume representing Borno South Senatorial District in Borno State said without any human feeling whatsoever that the several billion that are budgeted to the National Assembly annually has no single effect on the economy of Nigeria. I say without equivocation that such careless utterance at this critical time of our national life is insensitive and provocative.
“The majority of Nigerians are of the firm view that the members of the National Assembly who ought to be the true representatives of the citizens have not lived up to expectations one bit.
He also accused them of not having any bill sponsored for the welfare of the citizens.
“From 1999 till date when we started the current Republic we have not seen any legislation passed by the National Assembly members that addressed the issue of welfare and elimination of poverty pervading the land.
“Rather the salaries and allowances of the National Assembly Members in Nigeria remain the highest in the entire universe. Their take-home package monthly exceeds that of the lawmakers in America and Europe that have the most sophisticated economy with humane welfare packages for their citizens.
“This humongous salaries and allowances of our legislators are sacrilegious and should no longer be tolerated as we demand the redress of several of the grievances that retard our economic development as a nation.
“Our legislators have become a drainpipe, parasite, and leaking basket of our resources which we must address as a nation if we desire to develop our key infrastructures,” he said.
He is also calling for the reduction in the salaries of not only the legislators but the salaries and allowance of all public office holders
“We will not only address the salaries and allowances of our legislators at both the States and federal, we should also look GENERALLY INTO the salaries and allowances of all PUBLIC OFFICE HOLDERS, that includes Councillors, Local Government Chairmen, Governors, President and Ministers, and their Aides.
“It is appalling that we have failed to develop our key infrastructures as a nation despite our vast and huge resources, but shocking that over 50 percent of our annual budget is used to service the appetite of our public officeholders.
“For now we demand our political office holders to be circumspect, show remorse and initiate a process of amendment and restitution.
“Arrogant show of power, wealth and opulence will not be in their interest as the people are becoming conscious of their perennial cheatings and corruption that have kept the country’s economy retarded and in doldrums.
“For now a change in method and way of saying and doing things by public office holders will assuage the peoples’ anger and reduce tension in the land.
“This route is what we advice our public office holders to adopt presently so that we can restore once more the confidence of the people to those who govern them. Ultimately sovereignty belongs to the people and the earlier this is known by public office holders, the better for them,” he added.
TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Senator Ali Ndume has faulted calls for the slashing of National Assembly members’ pay, stating that the lawmakers’ emoluments do not have any effect on the economy.
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