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N13.5m Monthly Illegal Allowance: Lawmakers Plot Sani’s Fall
The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has angered a number of his colleagues for lifting the veil on the N13.5million illegal allowances members of the upper legislative chambers receive each month in addition to their legitimate salaries and allowances.
Some of the lawmakers, who spoke to newsmen under condition of anonymity, complained that the revelation by Sani has damaged the reputation of the federal legislature while possibly pitting constituents against their representatives.
The aggrieved senators and members of the House of Representatives said some of their colleagues were already discreetly working out modalities to deal with the Kaduna lawmaker.
It would be recalled that Sani had in an interview with newsmen revealed that he and his colleagues receive N13.5million monthly as “running cost”, aside a N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances which they also receive.
It was learnt that Sani’s revelation is the first by a lawmaker from the Senate since the clamour by Nigerians for a full disclosure of lawmakers’ earnings.
The revelation has sparked widespread anger among Nigerians who had always criticised the lawmakers for arbitrarily allocating jumbo pay to themselves at a time the country remained in dire need of funds for developmental projects.
Ironically, Sani’s colleagues are criticising him for coming clean on the secret allowances lawmakers receive while majority of Nigerians wallow in poverty and disease.
Some of the lawmakers, who spoke with newsmen said the revelation has the tendency of turning their constituents against them.
They said the revelation might instigate their constituents to make more financial demands from them.
The lawmakers vowed to take necessary steps to make the next one year difficult for the Kaduna senator.
“He has brought his useless activism to the chamber, creating the impression that we are all thieves without telling Nigerians details of what the money is used for,” one lawmaker said.
“There are always ways of dealing with characters like that. Just wait and see,” the lawmaker added.
Investigations show that part of the punishment the angry lawmakers are considering is to pressure the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to exclude Sani from subsequent ‘secret meetings’ of the Senate.
They plan to prevail on Saraki to stop inviting him for such meetings, especially those where finances might be discussed.
The lawmakers are also weighing the option of recommending a probe of the whistle-blower to Saraki.
For them, Sani would have to explain why he turned himself as Senate spokesperson, speaking on behalf of others.
If adopted, Sani would be investigated by the Senate’s ethics committee which may recommend a punishment.
But some lawmakers are cautioning against any open rebuke of the senator, saying that the action might generate even more public anger against the Senate and its members.
Many Nigerians, including civil society organisations have commended Sani’s action.
However, if eventually probed and found guilty by the ethics committee, Sani faces up to six to 12 months’ suspension.
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