The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani on Saturday insisted it was now time for Nigerians to demand with immediate effect what President Muhammadu Buhari and others working in the presidency collect as salaries and running cost of the Aso Villa itself.
He said this was necessary since Nigerians were now aware of what each Senator collect as salary and monthly running cost.
Sani who revealed that the reason he revealed the monthly salary and running cost of each Senator in the National Assembly was to clear the air on the exact amount each Senator gets, noted that his revelation hadd now cleared the air because there had been a lot of claims and counter claims on the matter.
He, however, declared that it was now time for Nigerians to demand for the pay slip of the President, Vice President, Chief of Staff, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ministers, Special Adviser and the dining cost of the Villa.
Sani while speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital as Guest Speaker at the 5th Olalekan Olomide Platform for Development held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Secretariat Iyaganku, Ibadan, said he revealed the “take home” of the Senate to eliminate the stigma and wrong perceptions of Nigerians about members of the National Assembly.
He said that before he decided to reveal the actual salary and allowances of members of the Senate, there had been a lot of allegations and insinuation against the National Assembly.
He said now that Nigerians were aware of this, they should also demand for take of pay of Governors, members of state Houses of Assemblies, Commissioners and other elected or political appointees in the respective states.
Sani said “Now that Nigerians have known the salary and allowances of Senators, they (Nigerians) should request from the presidency the running cost of the Aso Rock Villa.
“Nigerians should now demand for what the President collect, what the Chief of Staff collect, what the SGF collect, the Ministers and the running cost.
“Now that you have known how much we earn, it is important for Nigerians to ask the President what is the running cost of the Villa. The Ministers, Special Advisers, GMDs should also be ask how much they earn.
“Now that you have known how much we Senators earn, leave us alone and ask other political office holders how much they too earn. I revealed how much we earn to remove secrecy.
“Ask your governors how much they collect as salary, we need to now ask members of the various state Houses of Assemblies how much is their salary, and the commissioners how much is their running cost monthly.”
Speaking on reaction of members of the Senate to the development, Sani said “The Senate has never threatened me, and has never treated me badly. I am not aware of any penalty against me for now.
“All what they did was to call me and confirm. For now, I appreciate the response of the Senate for now.”
Sani also declared that failure of the the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to resolve the crises in many state chapters may affect the fortunes of the political party in the 2019 general elections.
He specifically said that the political crises in Kaduna state and other state chapters in APC were as a result of the failure of the national leadership of the party to address some complaints promptly.
According to him, “the crisis in Kaduna APC would not have degenerated to the level of a party Secretariat being demolished if the national leadership of the party had acted on time.”
Sani said, “If there is no resolution of the crises in Kaduna, Kogi, Rivers and other state chapters of the APC, it is certainly going to affect the fortunes of our party in 2019. We can only win when we are united in peace.”
He also noted that it would difficult for the ruling party to win the 2019 general elections without fulfilling the 2015 campaign promises, and properly addressing the security challenges in the country.
He urged loyalists of President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow their love for the President prevent them from always telling him (Buhari) the truth, declaring that the spate of killings in some parts of the country was not acceptable.
At the event were Chairman of the occasion, Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Mr. Toye Arulogun and former commissioner for Environment in the state Barrister Lowo Obisesan, among other guests.
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