A member of the House of Representatives, Simon Karu, has revealed that each member of the House earns N9.3m monthly.
Karu, who represents Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency in Gombe State, said the money includes their monthly salary and office running costs.
He made the disclosure while speaking in a panel at an event to mark Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary.
The event was themed: “Fixing Nigeria at 60 – Sustainable and efficient democracy: Issues on accountability and transparency in governance”.
The lawmaker, however, expressed that most of the funds were spent on constituents’ high demands.
He said;
The official salary of a member, House of Representatives which I also receive monthly is N800,000. The office running cost of a member of the House of Representatives is N8.5m.
Karu stressed;
Those of you who know, know that I said exactly what it is. The problem is what the constituents demand and when you don’t meet they begin to call you names. Just before I walked to the stage, I received three emails from my constituents demanding for money and demanding for jobs, when you don’t it becomes an issue.
However, Chairman of the House Committee on Treaties, Agreements and Protocols, Ossai Nicholas Ossai, countered Karu’s claim.
He asked the audience to disregard the information the Gombe lawmaker provided.
Ossai, who is one of the oldest members of the House said;
I have never received such salary since I came to the National Assembly and I have been in the National Assembly before him.
