PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-president Namadi Sambo,
non-returning federal lawmakers, ministers and presidential aides
will collect N3.24bn as severance allowances.The severance allowances are contained in the
Remuneration Package put together by the Revenue Mobilisation,
Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
According to the package, Jonathan, who will hand over to
the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29, is entitled to 300 per cent
of his annual basic salary. he President’s annual basic salary is put at N3,
514,705 and therefore his severance allowance will be N10, 544,115 after May
29.The severance allowance is without prejudice to his other
constitutional entitlements as a former head of government.Similarly, Vice-President Sambo, who leaves office the same
day as Jonathan, is also entitled to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary
put at N3, 031,572.50. This means that his severance allowance after May 29 is
N9, 094,717.50.
For having held the office of vice- president, Sambo also
has some constitutional entitlements and perks.About 76 senators are not returning to the National Assembly
either because they did not stand for election or because they lost their bids
to return. They are however entitled to N462,019,200 at the expiration of their
tenure on June 5.Like Jonathan and Sambo, they are entitled to 300 per cent
of their annual basic salaries as severance allowances. This amounts to N6,
079,200 per senator.
In the House of Representatives, about 290 members are not
returning to the 8th National Assembly to be proclaimed into existence by
Buhari on June 5.Each of the members is entitled to N5, 955,637.50 as
severance allowance. This means that the 290 members will be paid
N1, 727,134,875.The ministers, on the other hand, will be collecting a total
of N253, 967,212.5. There are 42 ministers in Jonathan’s cabinet. Thirty one of
them are senior ministers and 11 are ministers of state.Each of the senior ministers is entitled to N6, 079,200
severance allowance while each of the ministers of state will
receive N5, 872,740.This means that collectively, the senior ministers will get
N188, 455,200 at the expiration of their tenure on May 29 while collectively,
the ministers of state will be collecting N65, 512,012.5 .
The aides to the President comprising special advisers,
senior special assistants and special assistants will
get N775, 207,125.There are 23 of them who work with the president as special
advisers. Apart from this number, however, there are several others estimated
at 110 who work with the vice-president, the First Lady(Patience Jonathan) and
special advisers that are designated either as senior special assistants or
special assistants to the President.This means that there are about 133 aides to the president
and each of them is entitled to 300 per cent of their annual basic salary which
amounts to N5, 828,625.
The Nigerian democracy has been identified as one of the
costliest in the world as a result of a large number of political office
holders.Some experts, for instance, think that a cabinet made up of
42 ministers is too large. However, constitutionally, each of the 36
states is expected to be represented in the Federal Executive
Council.Bicameralism is another source of worry for many observers
who believe that Nigeria can do with one chamber of the National Assembly. Some
Nigerians have called for part-time legislature as a means of saving cost.
However, the worry of many Nigerians is not what the
lawmakers earn monthly but what accrues to them through self-appropriation
and constituency projects.Two activist lawyers – Jiti Ogunye and Ebun-Olu
Adegboruwa – faulted the basis for earmarking such an amount of money for such
purposes in the face of the economic challenges the country is grappling with.While Adegboruwa argued that the political office holders
were not entitled to any severance allowance given what they earned as salaries
and benefits while in office, Ogunye called for a drastic cut in the
allowances.
Adegboruwa said that since the political office holders
had been paid what could sustain them and their families for the
rest of their lives, they were no longer entitled to
severance allowance.
He said, “I believe that given the monumental and outrageous
salaries, benefits and allowances that are being paid to the outgoing members
of this executive, the legislators especially the House of Representatives,
senators and ministers, I believe they should save Nigerians from the luxury of
any outrageous allowance.“This incoming government needs a lot of resources to fulfil
its campaign promises. Our incoming government is likely to remain stagnant for
now. Nigeria cannot afford the luxury in the name of severance allowance. Our
people are suffering. They should have mercy on Nigeria. What they have taken
is enough to sustain them and their families for the rest of their lives.”Ogunye said, “While the RMAFAC could have its own scale,
guidelines and parameters for determining those political office holders who
qualify for these severance benefits and the quantum each of them and all of
them should recieve, we cannot but point out that this amount, in the
circumstances of our dire economic situation, is outrageous.
“It is carrying the culture of profligacy and corruption in
the conduct of our public affairs too far. At this point of economic recession
and dwindling oil revenue, RMFAC ought to be chiefly concerned with revenue
mobilisation to cater for the shortfall in the funding of the yet to be passed
2015 Appropriation bill.“We suggest a drastic cut in the amount. Political office
holders do not necessarily serve Nigeria more and better than school teachers,
lecturers, judges, health workers et cetra, who take home modest gratituities
and pensions after 35 years of service.”
The Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba group,
Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said, “It is
unjust and morally reprehensible for these officials who mostly
have fleeced the public till with veracious rapacity to legislate crazy
retirement benefits.“It is nothing but robbing the public for people who lived
off the state for four or eight years to want to become permanent liability on
the system.“This is a country where civil servants who served the
country for 35 years are queuing to death for pensions that mostly remain
unpaid. There are no serious countries in the world where public officials earn
what ours take not to talk of the sickening retirement benefits they ask for.”
Via. Punch
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