Mixed reactions have continued to trail the letter by former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to the National Assembly members, as both the senate and House of Representatives have differed on the existence of the document.
Obasanjo had accused the lawmakers in a letter dated January 13, 2016 and only made available, Tuesday, of greed, corruption and impunity.
‘’Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you know that your emolument which the Commission had recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate requirements: basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency allowance.
‘’Although the constituency allowance is paid to all members of the National Assembly, many of them have no constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and payments have been added by the National Assembly for the National Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is unconstitutional.
‘’The National Assembly should have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what transparency demands. With the number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made.
‘’Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than we are.
‘’The budget is a proposal and only an estimate of income and expenditure. Where income is inadequate, expenditure will not be made. While in government, I was threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were no incomes to support.
‘’The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty.
‘’The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.
‘’It will be interesting if the National Assembly will be honourable enough and begin the process of transparency, responsibility and realism by publishing its recurrent budgets for 2016 as it should normally be done,” read excerpts of the letter.
However, reacting, Wednesday, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said he was still studying the letter and would formally write a reply to the former President in no time.
Speaking through his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the senate presiden, though, acknowledged that he had received the document, said he would formally communicate the former President.
This is just as Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi, claimed that he was not aware of the said letter to the Senate President, stressing that if the letter was sent, it would be communicated to senators through the Senate President.
“As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any letter to the Senate President from the former president, so I cannot comment on what I am not aware of.
“We have a constitution on this country and any communication to the National Assembly must follow the laid-down rules, so like I said, when I am informed of the said letter, I can now speak,” he was quoted as saying.
On its part, the House of Representatives said it would not like to join issues with the former President.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrasak Namdas, said: “I don’t want to join issues with the former President, what is before us now is the 2016 budget which we are committed to work on.”
However, a member of the House, Chike Okafor, APC, Imo, said the former President’s letter was an expression of his lost bid to extend his tenure about ten years ago.
According to him, the former president appears not to have forgiven the National Assembly for cutting short his aspiration.
