N14m Monthly Salary Not Enough To Run Office - Orji Kalu - The Alternative News - The Alternative News

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Friday, October 18, 2024

N14m Monthly Salary Not Enough To Run Office - Orji Kalu - The Alternative News

 






 .......Says National Assembly Did Not Purchase Official Vehicles For Senators

Former Governor of Abia State and senator representing Abia North, Orji Kalu has said that N14 million monthly pay is not enough to buy fuel for his cars and manage the affairs of his constituency offices.

The senator said this in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday.

“Getting so much from where? If you had told me, I would have brought the statement of my account from the Senate. I earn N14 million for everything in a month. That is everything encompassing, my salary, the overhead, the workers’ salary and everything and everybody.

“No, it’s not. Let me be honest with you. Do you know this money I have to buy fuel, I have to travel to my constituency, I have to maintain constituency office, I have to sit in the constituency, it’s not enough,” Mr Kalu said.

Mr Kalu’s claim contradicts what Kano South senator Kawu Sumaila disclosed about three months ago.

In August, Mr Sumaila, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), told BBC Hausa that his monthly salary is less than N1 million. Still, when the running cost is included, he earns at least N21 million monthly, like his colleagues.

However, a member of All Progressive Congress(APC), also claimed that the National Assembly did not purchase official vehicles for all the senators.

He said the official luxury vehicles are bought for only committees of the National Assembly for official duties.

Again, Mr Kalu’s claim is contrary to what the Senate said last year before going ahead to purchase the vehicles for the lawmakers.

Last October, the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Services, Sunday Karimi, confirmed that leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly bought luxury vehicles for all the lawmakers.

Mr Karimi told journalists in Abuja that the National Assembly decided to buy the luxury cars for lawmakers because they wanted vehicles that would not only be durable on Nigerian roads but also be easy to maintain for four years.

But, Mr Kalu said it is false.


“These are just rumours. I am a businessman, I don’t have a vehicle given to me. The vehicles are bought for the Senate committees. Senators are provided with committee vehicles. My committee got a vehicle and I don’t own it, and anybody who belongs to the committee can use the vehicle.

“Some government appointees use five to six vehicles, and nobody talks about it and the legislators are doing a lot to see that Nigerian people are carried along.

“We are the elected officials whocan be easily reached. If someone is sick or someone’s child can’t pay his or her school fees they cry to us. The committees get vehicles and no lawmaker owns any vehicle,” he said.




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