Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Akintunde Rotimi on Friday, June 21, raised an alarm over what he called disinformation targeted at members of the House by mischief makers.
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He was reacting to a viral video on social media quoting the lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi state, Hon. Leke Abejide as reeling out what is supposed to be his monthly earning as a federal lawmaker.
Rotimi said salaries and allowances of legislators, like all out public officers are fixed by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and asked those interested to contact the commission.
It would be recalled that while at plenary on Tuesday June 11, Hon. Abejide raised a point of order, saying his privilege has been breeched by one Adeola Fayehun who spread false information on the social media by his monthly take home as a lawmaker.
Abejide, who read out the figures being paraded on the social media by the said Adeola Fayehun said it was the second time she was insighting his constituents against him without concrete fact, asking the leadership of the House to do something about it or he will be forced to personally take legal action.
In the original video of the plenary, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen had promised that the leadership of the House will look into the matter.
However, in an edited viral video trending on social media, Abejide allegedly claimed that he earns N2.5m as a basic salary, N5m for accommodation, N7.5m for furniture, N1.2m for newspapers, N621,000 for wardrobe, and N248,000 for recess among others.
The House spokesman however said in a statement that the viral video was distorted, saying “a fact check shows that the video was distorted to suit the purpose of fake news purveyors. So what really happened?
“Rep. Abejide Leke was only raising a point of order on privilege concerning claims by one Adeola Fayehun. In the original video, Rep. Abejide lamented that his privilege had been breached.
“The lawmaker brought the attention of the House to the social media commentator who made bogus claims about lawmakers’ earnings.
“Rep. Abejide further lamented that Fayehun, who is based in the United States, has made it a duty to misinform Nigerians, particularly his constituents, about happenings in the National Assembly.
“The lawmaker said Fayehun has continually instigated the people and urged the House leadership to take decisive action”.
He said further that “this incident highlights the dangers of disinformation, especially when targeted at parliamentarians. Fake news purveyors can distort facts to mislead the public and create confusion.
“It is essential for the public to verify information from credible sources before believing or sharing it. Misinformation can undermine trust in democratic institutions and disrupt the legislative process. By being vigilant and discerning, we can combat the spread of fake news and protect the integrity of our democracy.
“Lawmakers’ earnings, like all public servants are publicly available as set by the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).”
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