Rights activists decry Tinubu’s bribe for lawmakers while 12m households get N48,000 each
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and other human rights activists have condemned the N70 billion Bola Tinubu tucked into the N500 billion fuel subsidy removal palliative for lawmakers, seen as a bribe to ensure the President keeps his grip on a rubber stamp National Assembly (NASS).
It also means Tinubu is giving more money to the elite, the top 1 per cent of society, while making poorer the remaining 99 per cent of citizens.
He on Thursday last week sent to the NASS N819 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill, request for N500 billion palliative, and another request for approval of $800 million World Bank loan to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed the requests the same day, gingered by their own N70 billion cut, which translates to N149 million for each of the entire 469 NASS members.
However, 12 million households out of 133 million multidimensionally poor Nigerians will receive N8,000 per month for six months to cushion the effect of subsidy removal. That adds up to a total N48,000 for each household.
Tinubu in his letter to the lawmakers explained the N70 billion is to support “the working conditions of National Assembly members.”
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Rights activists see allocation as insensitive
Rights activists described the N70 billion NASS allocation as insensitive as majority citizens are grappling with economic hardship made worse by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Besides SERAP, others who railed against the injustice include Femi Falana, SAN; Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress (AAC); Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL); and Take It Back Movement (TIBM), according to reporting by The PUNCH.
SERAP
SERAP issued a statement in which it urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas “to drop the scandalous plan to spend N40bn on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70bn as ‘palliatives’ for new members.”
SERAP implored them to “repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110bn, reflect the current economic realities in the country and address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on the over 137 million poor Nigerians.”
It gave the NASS seven days to retrace its steps, threatening it would go to court should its demand be ignored.
Femi Falana, SAN
“Out of sheer insensitivity coupled with impunity, the members of the National Assembly, regardless of political affiliation, conspired to breach the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 by padding the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2023 to provide the so-called palliative of N70bn for 306 newly-elected members,” Falana lamented in a statement.
“While the masses of Nigeria are groaning under the excruciating economic pains unleashed on them by the ruling class, the National Assembly has awarded N228.7m to each of the newly elected legislators.
“As if that is not enough, the members of the National Assembly have earmarked N40bn to purchase 465 Sports Utility Vehicles and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members.
“However, the legislators approved the sum of N500 billion for 12 million indigent people in a country where the National Bureau of Statistics has said that ‘62.9 per cent of people (133 million) are multidimensionally poor.’”
Debo Adeniran (CACOL National Chairman)
“Instead of increasing our suffering, they should actually put that amount of money into the socio-economic activities of Nigerian people and give soft loans to those that have been identified as doing legitimate business.”
Omoyele Sowore
“Palliatives will not solve any poverty, it is clear that these palliatives are designed as political welfare for the top one per cent of already over-fed members of the Nigerian elite, not the Nigerian people.”
Juwon Sanyaoulu (TIBM Director)
“Tinubu awards N70bn as palliatives to National Assembly members, who, by the way, are negotiating a further increase in their already outrageous salaries, but plans to distribute less than N100 billion to 12 million Nigerians as palliative for the unconscionable hardship occasioned by subsidy removal on fuel.
“The Tinubu regime is treating Nigeria like his conquered territory and its people like a conquered lot. In no distant time, we will show him why no Nigerian leader has yet to successfully conquer the Nigerian people.”
Senate reacts
Senate Media and Public Affairs Committee Chairman Yemi Adaramodu, defended the N70 billion allocation and counselled Nigerians to see the NASS as their partner in progress.
“Suffice to say that the passage is part of the absolute constitutional duty of the Senate. We would, therefore, not wish to take issues with the mischief and misrepresentation that a portion of the just passed Amendment Act that appropriated N70bn was a ‘gift’ to the legislators.
“A visit to the suites, offices and the general structures of the National Assembly complex would reveal a yawning and the need for exigent attention.
“Many Senators had to bring their chairs, tables and electronics and in many cases, do sundry repairs.
“The so-much-debated allocation will not be paid to any legislator. This will be managed by the National Assembly Bureaucracy.
“It’s pertinent to also note that the National Assembly complex does not house only the legislators. There are thousands of workers and service providers, whose working environment need a facelift, and with necessary tools.
“Since the Assembly complex is not owned by legislators, who are merely political birds of passage, such allocation cannot be termed by anyone as a palliative to the legislators.”