An Unhelpful Mindset

It is worthy of note that within a space of one week, honourable Nigerian politicians representing, serving and making laws for the rest of Nigerians are lamenting and complaining about their pay packet and allowances as being “too small”. Readers who may wish to do so, can refer to The Tide newspaper, Monday July 15, Page 21, and Monday July 22, 2019: “Kalu Laments Senators’ Pay Packet” and “Our N8.5m Monthly Allowance Too Small” – Page 7.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, Ph.D, would tell us that “If I see jumbo pay that does not represent my conscience, I will speak”. One week after, Oluwole Oke who represents Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, wondered: “How much is N8.5 million to me as a person?” Honourable Oke went on to say that “If you have to embark on research, looking at all the bills that I have sponsored in the House, you will see that those bills that I sponsored are not ones you can just come by any how”.
Yes, sponsoring of bills in the House of Representatives can entail travelling to Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom, India and other countries, to be able to obtain and dig out facts to back up such bills. Apart from flight tickets, hotel bills and several other expenses connected with such patriotic sacrifices and great research activities for the good of Nigerians, there are also travel allowances and “estacode” which the Honourables claim.
When, as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, but now Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi, said long ago that about 25% of the nation’s budgets went into servicing the National Assembly, there were denials and controversies. Similarly, Orji Uzor Kalu would tell us that: “When I was governor, the state was buying my food, the state paid everything, but as a senator, nobody does that”. Food and pension for life!
The irony here is that for such honourable leaders whose food and every other needs are paid for by governments, and others who would ask “how much is N8.5m to me as a person”, constitute less than 10% of the Nigerian population. There are over 90% of Nigerians who would faint and suffer heart attack at the sight of one million naira, which is the sum of money that some Nigerian politicians can spend in less than one hour.
In a country where payment of N30,000 per month as minimum wage for public servants and where millions of people go hungry daily, there is a need to ask serious questions. One of such questions would concern the kind of mind-set of the leaders of such a nation. To people who are used to having everything free, including the food they eat, and who consider 8.5 million naira monthly allowance as “too small”, the earth is a different theatre from those who wonder how they would come by the next meal.
Now, a situation where a nation is managed by a few people who know neither poverty nor hunger, and where close to 90% of the people are poor and hungry, the issue of mindset would be a decisive factor. It is true that people see things and perceive issues from different perspectives, according to their mindset and world view. It is not only a situation of one man’s meat being another man’s poison, but one in which two strange bed fellows cannot communicate. It is one world but different people.
Nigerians must now begin to ask questions why law-makers must travel to several countries in order to get and compile materials for bills that the people’s representatives want to sponsor. While a minister “travelling to Lagos” may not “use his legs”, Nigerians would want to know why a minister or lawmaker would have as many as half a dozen official vehicles, fuelled at tax payer’s expense. Why separate travelling allowance in a situation where free vehicles, fuel and other comforts are also provided?
Last year Senator Shehu Sani disclosed that officially “every Nigerian senator gets N13.5 million monthly as running costs, about N200 million as constituency, while the salary is about N750,000”. There are other allowances for cars, furniture, travels, wardrobe, housing, newspapers and journals, etc running into several millions for each senator.
Nigerians must wonder what pay packet and allowances would be considered not too small for the lawmakers. There are also the issues of budget padding which are clever strategies of including some hidden allowances in favour of the lawmakers, individually and collectively. It is obvious that more and more Nigerians are becoming aware that politics is not about service and patriotism but a ruthless money game. That is what money-politics is about: scramble for profit!
The situation is quite sad and honest Nigerians know and can testify that this is the truth. The sad consequence is that the zeal for productive and patriotic endeavours by the masses would diminish. If our lawmakers are not satisfied with their pay and allowances, let those of them with PhDs come over into the universities and teach and see the difference. Why do politicians scramble to become governors and then senators or ministers thereafter? Then add pension for life! How clever!
What people say, complain about and aspire to attain usually reflect their mindset and values, and for the Nigerian political elite there is hardly any evidence of patriotism and service. True leaders are those who feel the pulse of the masses and serve with unassumingness and empathy. Do we wonder why there is rising crime rate?
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, PH.

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