Economic recession: CSO wants FG to slash public officers’ allowances

Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), a civil society organisation (CSO), has proffered the need for the slashing of allowances and salaries of elected public officials, as the economic situation bites harder with its attendant pains on the people.

Media reports recently revealed that members of the National Assembly alone have received a total of N6.8 billion as salaries and allowances in the past one year, even as the economy nosedives into recession.

Debo Adeniran, executive chairman of CACOL, described the remuneration packages, which include annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances, as outrageous considering the present the prevailing situation.

According to Adeniran, “their remunerations had hitherto been outrageous and unfair, and that is why the strident calls to slash the bogus remuneration of elected public officials as a way of reducing the cost of governance has been a public outcry for long.

“These bogus allowances are being enjoyed by not just the National Assembly members but also by all other elected public officials with minimal differentials in what accrue to them generally. The unfairness and insensitivity to the majority that are wallowing in economic pangs in the country is clearly reflecting in the unwillingness of those in political office to abandon greed and selfishness, and to also self-deny as required by the state of the economy.

 “Some other countries like Senegal, in 2012, following economic challenges and expediency of the social needs of the people of the country in terms of priorities, Senegalese lawmakers, who were divided between a 150-seat National assembly and a 100-seat Senate, voted to do away with the Senate and passed a law which dissolved the institution in order to save an estimated $15 million.”