16th August, 2015
Lateef Raji, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has stated that part-time legislature is the solution to the curbing the high cost of the National Assembly.
Speaking with PM News, Raji said that: “It’s time we start thinking of part-time legislature, maintaining the present structure is damn too expensive.”
He reckoned that the amount of money spent in maintaining the legislature across the country is way too high. “The national economic outlook is so bad that we have to put out everything to address the economic problems,” he said, adding that, “I can’t confirm yet but there is speculation that the Senate shared N23 million each but if it is true in a country where even states cannot pay salaries then that is a way too much money for an individual, and that makes it imperative to have a part-time legislature that would be paid based on the number of times the legislature sits and the individual attends sitting,” he proffered.
He then went on to calculate the sum received by the senators which Nigerians have described as staggering. “Let’s add up 23 x 109 = 2,507. That’s quite a lot of money that can well pay the wage bill of any of the states although we don’t know yet if this is monthly,” he added.
“One of the ways to get out of the financial circle is either to cut down on the benefits that goes to each legislator, make it a part-time institution or scrap the senate as suggested by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he noted.
He then stated categorically that NASS allowances is not in the interest of Nigerians. “It cannot be in the interest of the country if the legislature, as the second arm of government, and understands the financial health of the country but still would not consider a down review of its allowances to free up funds for other critical sectors. It’s a moral issue for leaders to consider.
“I don’t know but I think politics is a calling. You either have it or you don’t have it. No matter under which condition it is played, there are Nigerians who just won’t be part of it. The same would also apply to politicians. No matter the conditions you set, they will continue to play active politicking. I think it more about interest above anything else,” he submitted.