The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the National Assembly to explain how its budget, which in 2003 was N23.347 billion, rose to an all time record of N154.2 billion in 2010.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said the National Assembly has to explain how its budget, which in 2003 was N23.347 billion, rose to an all time record of N154.2 billion in 2010.
He said, “Nigerians are concerned and want explanations on how the National Assembly budget, which in 2003 was N23.347 billion, rose to N66.488 billion in 2007, and then climbed to N104.825 billion in 2008. In 2010, Your Excellency, under the watch of your predecessor, the budget of the National Assembly reached an all time record jump to N154.2 billion.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused political office holders in Nigeria, elected and appointed, of being the major drainpipes on the nation’s economy through their monthly fat salaries and allowances.
This was just as the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, challenged Nigerian workers to play their part in the war against corruption to which the present administration in the country has committed itself.
The NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba made the accusation yesterday when he led the Labour Unionists on a courtesy visit to the Senate president. He said Nigerians are not satisfied yet with the 50% reduction in monthly salaries recently made by President Muhammadu Buhari and some state governors without doing anything yet about their fat allowances.
The drain, according to him, was captured by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) in 2009 when it put the annual salaries of certain political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria, numbering 17, 474, at N1.126trillion.
“This indicates that the earnings of political office holders were such a big drain on the revenue of the country and were clearly unsustainable”, he said.
In his response, Sen Saraki also blamed workers for aiding corruption, saying most corrupt practices are carried out with workers’ connivance.
