House releases Dogara’s payslips; urges El-Rufai to stop undermining NASS

———–By Ovasa Ogaga——–

The House of Representatives in response to the call by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir El-Rufai asking the  National Assembly to disclose their earnings, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Tuesday released his payslips from October 2016 to March 2017.

From the details on the payslips released it shows that Dogara earns an average of N346, 577 monthly after deductions.

Below are 6-moths payslips of Hon. Dogara:

According to the House, this became necessary following the rift between the Speaker and the Governor of Kaduna State, the House also said that it will voluntarily publish its budget in the 2017 budget.

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, also accused Governor El-Rufai of trying to blackmail and undermines the National Assembly thereby distracting it from playing its constitutionally assigned role.

While briefing reporters on Tuesday at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, Hon. Namdas called on El-Rufai to concentrate on providing good governance to Kaduna state and stop distracting the National Assembly.

“We wish to advise the Kaduna State Governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai to concentrate his efforts in governing Kaduna State and stop undermining and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role in nation building.

“The Kaduna State Governor claimed that in 2016, the National Assembly budget for its 469 members was larger than the entire budget of several Nigerian States. This statement is patently misleading and a terrible display of ignorance and falsehood, or a deliberate attempt to blackmail the parliament.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the National Assembly budget includes the salaries, allowances, expenditure and running cost of 469 members; it includes the salaries, allowances of about 3,000 legislative aides; it includes the salaries and allowances, equipment and maintenance of about 5000 staff in the bureaucracy.

“Indeed, the National Assembly Budget is about 2% of the National Budget. Yes, the National Assembly has voluntarily agreed to publish its Budget from 2017, as a responsible and accountable democratic institution. What happens to 98% of the National Budget should engage our attention also. We are sure that if 10% of the public scrutiny National Assembly receives is also devoted to those spending the other 98%, Nigeria would be better for it,” he said.