TheNewsGuru

Tag: Senators

  • Breaking: 15 APC Senators decamp to PDP

    Breaking: 15 APC Senators decamp to PDP

    Fifteen (15) All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators have decamped to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    TheNewsGuru reports Senate President Bukola Saraki made the announcement at plenary on Tuesday.

    The decamping Senators are Sen. Lanre Tejuoso, Sen. Shaaba Lafiagi, Sen. Barnabas Gemade, Sen. Dino Melaye, Sen. Shittu, Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim, Sen. Shitu Ubali and Sen. Isa Misau.

    Others are Sen. Sulaimon Hunkuyi, Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu, Sen. Mohammed Danbaba, Sen. Bayern Nafada, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sen. Abdulazeez Murtala-Nyako.

    With the decamping of the APC Senators, that already makes APC effectively the new opposition in the Senate as PDP clinches the majority position.

     

  • Defection saga: Buhari meets with Kwankwaso, others

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night held a closed door meeting with a former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso.

    The meeting was believed to be part of efforts aimed at ensuring that some aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress do not defect from the party.

    Some senators were said to have attended the meeting held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja alongside Kwankwaso.

    The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, also attended the meeting with the President.

    Some state governors were also said to be in attendance.

  • God will curse Shehu Sani, two other Kaduna senators for rejecting World bank loan – El-Rufai

    God will curse Shehu Sani, two other Kaduna senators for rejecting World bank loan – El-Rufai

    …Says electorates must reject them in 2019

    Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday rained curses on the three senators representing the state for working against a World Bank loan request by the state government.

    The governor made the comment on Friday, five weeks after the senators — Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central), Sulieman Hukunyi (Kaduna North), and Danjuma Leah (Kaduna South) — blocked a $350m loan request by the Kaduna government.

    The state had sought to get the facility from the World Bank but the federal lawmakers said the loan would erode the economic viability of the state.

    But el-Rufai, while speaking at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress’ campaign for the local government election in the state at the Kaduna Township Stadium, described the lawmakers as the enemies of democracy.

    The governor, who spoke in Hausa, told the thousands of people at the venue that the senators conspired to stop his government from obtaining the loan to build infrastructure and develop the state.

    He said, “The senators from the state who worked against the World Bank loan are useless; they came out and said this loan should not be given. What is their reason for rejecting the loan? It is because they are haters of the masses in Kaduna State.

    “If a road project is initiated in your town, they don’t want it to be completed. If we start renovating a hospital, they don’t want it to be completed. If five schools are renovated and 10 are remaining, they will not want the remaining 10 to be renovated.

    “Today, there are no haters of the masses of Kaduna State like Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi and Danjuma Laah, God will curse them. God will reward their wickedness against the masses, may God never bless them. All members of the House of Representatives from this state, God bless them, may God return them to their seats in 2019.

    “Members of our state (House of) Assembly who gave us their cooperation before the World Bank approved the loan to us, may God bless them and may God return them to their seats in 2019. But those ones that are cursed, if they come to Kaduna, shave their heads and beard. They have shown that they are bastards, they have no origin, therefore, it is important to tell them that they did not originate from this state.

    “If the time for election comes, answer them with votes, show them that you don’t like them… Let them go back to where they come from. Let them go to the people they are working for to vote for them.

    “I want my people to comprehend the simple logic that the three senators representing my state at the Senate are starkly ignorant of the real indices of development and progress in a democratic setting.”

    El-Rufai also said his administration had invested considerably in electronic voting because he believed that votes must count during elections.

  • Why I exposed N750,000 salary, N13.5m monthly running cost of Nigerian Senators – Sani

    Senator representing Kaduna Central on the floor of the senate, Shehu Sani has explained why he exposed the hidden N13.5m monthly running cost and other emoluments of Nigerian senators.

    He said he did it to burnish the image of senators.

    Recall that the Senate in response defended the pay as “nothing new”, adding that Sani only revealed what had been in existence.

    But many Nigerians and civil society groups have been angry at what they consider to be an outrageous pay.

    Speaking in an interview programme aired yesterday on an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, “Political Circuit”, Sani, who ran a civil rights group before his election into the senate in 2015, said he saw the need to break the culture of secrecy surrounding the activities of the National Assembly because it had given the parliament a bad name, despite being peopled by by successful professionals and businessmen.

    He said: “The National Assembly is made up of distinguished personalities – doctors, lawyers, engineers, academics and all who have made it in life. But because of this culture of secrecy and silence, people who found themselves in the National Assembly are criminalised and stigmatised.

    “The dome of the National Assembly is being seen to house people of questionable character and integrity. So, what I did was to rescue the honour and credibility of the parliament by removing the veil of secrecy to bring it once and for all to an end.

    “ It has been 19 years of civil administration and it has been 19 years of secrecy, of people not wanting to speak out.

    “We have reached a point where people speculate and say so many bad things about the National Assembly. You see all sorts of figures of what senators are collecting. Some say N50 million, some speculate N100 million. But whatever people say, naturally, others will believe because there is no counter information, no truth coming from the other side.

    “So, I said, ‘I know it is painful, I know that I will lose friends and colleagues within the very establishment that I serve’. But I need to speak because I was part of those who fought and struggled for the restoration of this democracy.

    “I went to jail and was in the forefront of the protest against military rule. It is not possible for me to speak against the military rule and now I cannot. And, as such, I say it is temporary pain.”

    Sani said he pointed out early that the money was huge but that the parliament did nothing about it, hence he continued to collect it along with his colleagues.

    The senator said following his revelation, he expected Nigerians to ask questions about what members of the executive, judiciary and state lawmakers were earning..

    “Now that Nigerians know what the senators are earning, it is time for them to also ask what is happening in the Presidency, the Judiciary and the other arm of government.

    “Since I have come out to speak, we should also ask people to ask the members of their houses of assembly who also collect this money to speak. I know things are not going to be easy because when I made the disclosure, there was explosion, even right in my own house.

    “I will appeal to Nigerians to now shift focus to the governors, the ministers, those in the Presidency, the SGF, the Chief of Staff to the President, and NNPC GMD, to ask them to say publicly say what they earn monthly.

    “So, I know very well that it comes with a lot of price. But in the long run, our people will not be focusing on the senators. They will now be focusing on other areas and other people who refuse to come out and speak.”

    Sani justified the lawmakers’ bid to reorder elections, saying it is aimed at preventing the usual bandwagon effect of the presidential election where the party of the elected president coasts home to victory in the states.

    The senator pointed out that the National Assembly felt that federal lawmakers needed to stand on their merit in elections to enable Nigerians elect only those they truly believe in.

     

  • Pro-Buhari senators gather signatures to halt senate veto

    Members of the Nigerian Senate loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari have started gathering signatures as part of efforts to frustrate moves by the upper chamber to veto the electoral bill.

    It was also learnt that some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors have intervened to ensure that the Senate’s decision to override Buhari’s veto power in the passage of the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 was not successful.

    The president had written to lawmakers on his decision to withhold assent to the controversial Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill which seeks to re-order the sequence of polls in such a way that the presidential election would come last during the general elections.
    Punch reliably gathered that members of Buhari’s cabinet and governors on the platform of the ruling APC had been mobilising members of the National Assembly loyal to Buhari to frustrate the move to override the President’s veto on the amended Electoral Act.

    An APC governor from the North-Central, one from the South-West and another from the North-West were said to have been part of a meeting with the lawmaker representing Nasarawa West Senatorial District, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in Abuja last Thursday.

    Adamu is leading the opposition to the amendment, which is considered to be anti-Buhari in the Senate.

    It was reliably learnt that a minister from the South-South was also part of the meeting, where it was agreed that the pro-Buhari members of the National Assembly would be mobilised to frustrate the likely overriding of the President on the bill.

    One of the senators opposed to the amendment told Punch on Wednesday night that it was the meeting that made Senator Obinna Ogba (PDP-Ebonyi-Central) to raise the alarm that there was a move to sack the leadership of the Senate led by Bukola Saraki.

    The lawmaker however insisted that the meeting was to mobilise for Buhari’s defence and not to sack Saraki.

    The source said: “Of course, there was a meeting but it was not held with Adamu in Lafia on Tuesday, it was held at his residence in Abuja last Thursday. But they started gathering signatures on Tuesday. The conclusion at the meeting was that senators who were opposed to the amendment should lobby others to reject the move to override Buhari’s veto on the bill.

    “So far so good, we should have got the needed number that we need, which is just over 40. They need 73 or two-third of the 109 to override the veto but we need less than 50 to frustrate that.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party caucus just met tonight and part of their agenda is how to achieve the imposition of the bill on the President.”

    He said although the larger percentage of the PDP caucus is for the amendment, a particular member of the caucus from the South-East chose to sign the pro-Buhari senators’ list.

    “He has already signed with us and there is a few others too,” he added.

  • Senate confirms members get N13.5m monthly aside N750k salaries

    The Senate has formally confirmed that its members receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

    Recall TheNewsGuru.com recently published that Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, revealed the amount he and his colleagues receive monthly.

    He confirmed that each Senator gets N13.5 million as running cost.

    The lawmaker noted that this was in addition to the over N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate.

    He, however, kicked against allowances, advocating that Senators should only be paid salaries.

    Reacting on yesterday, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said there was nothing new about what Sani declared.

    The spokesman recalled that the cost of the offices of Senators were contained in various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly which has been made public.

    He stated that like traveling, medicals, consultancy and others were captured.

    “Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries”, he added.

    Abdullahi further dismissed insinuations that Senators were unhappy with Sani for making the comment.

  • Exposed! Nigerian senators get N13.5m every month, apart from salaries

    Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central senatorial district, has revealed he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

    In an interview with TheNews, Mr. Sani said that the running cost does not include a N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances which they also receive.

    Sani said the running cost was in addition to over N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each senator.

    “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month,” he reportedly said.

    He was quoted as saying there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for but emphasised that lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

    “What I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00,” he said.

    “The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

    “You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

    “Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.

    “So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leave senators and members of house of reps with salaries.

    “And also, the public should be informed that nobody should come to any senator’s house asking for any kobo. That also would be helpful.”

    The lawmaker said he was against the idea of legislators carrying out constituency but said constituents might not know the relevance of lawmakers if they do not construct projects in their constituencies.

    “There are issues that we need to understand. First, I don’t believe that members of the national or even state assemblies should be involved in carrying out what is called constituency projects,” he said.

    “When people are elected into the national assembly, they should just be involved in lawmaking, raising motions, bills and also performing oversight functions. But we live in a society where people cannot differentiate between the legislators and the executive.

    “When the people come to you, they want you to build roads, dig boreholes, build hospitals, schools, give money, pay school fees for them. Now, if we have a society in which people will stop asking legislators to do those things, then there is no need (for the allowances) But funny enough, if you are very active in the national assembly in making laws and you don’t embark on projects in your constituency, you cannot in any way be appreciated by the people you are there to serve because the electorates in United States are different from the electorates in the United States and Africa.

    “We live in an underdeveloped society with a lot of poverty, misery and wants. What people want is for you to address those basic fundamental issues that affect their lives.

    “If we can be done with that, it would be okay. Now, you are talking of bogus salaries and bogus allowances – there are three steps you need to consider – the first has to do with the fact when you represent the people, expectations arose from your immediate and the larger constituencies.

    “But I agree with you that the salaries and allowances of lawmakers should not be discreet, but what is discreet about it when you can write to Resource and Fiscal Mobilization Commission to get everything about what a senator earns?

    “The only money you are not expected to account for is your salary and the salary of a senator is about N750, 000.00 per month. The other one, the running cost of office must be accounted for. You must provide a receipt for every expense you make.”

  • Again, Senators, Customs CG clash over ‘breach of protocol’

    Again, Senators, Customs CG clash over ‘breach of protocol’

    …as senators shun photo session with Customs leadership

    What was meant to be a routine oversight visit by the senators on Monday nearly turned chaos as the visiting senators and the Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service, Colonel Hameed Ali (retd.) had misunderstandings over acceptable protocols at NCS headquarters in Abuja.

    The Senate and Col. Ali had a long row over his refusal to appear before the upper chamber in uniform.

    The drama was triggered by remarks made by the Chairman, ad- hoc committee on “Economic Waste in the Nigerian Customs Service”, Senator Dino Melaye, over the manner in which the Senate delegation was received at the Customs office.

    Melaye noted that Col. Ali, by way of protocol, should have come down from his office to welcome the committee members into the premises.

    The Kogi West lawmaker said it was a breach of protocol for the CG to casually meet the delegation at the conference room.

    Melaye noted that ushering in the senators had been the practice with statutory bodies, such as Immigration, Prisons and others, over the years.

    He wondered why such established etiquette, which he said was the norm under previous Customs CGs was not accorded the committee by Col. Ali.

    Melaye said, “Before reading the prepared speech of the committee, let me make this small remark on what we have just observed here in form of breach of protocols.

    “Mr CG, rather than meeting us here at the conference room by way of courtesy, you are supposed to have met us at the ground floor on arrival into the premises.

    “That has been the practice of statutory bodies headed by Chief Executive Officers like you. Relevant Senate committees have over the years been accorded this by bosses of Immigration Service, Prison Service and others, making us to wonder why it is not so here today under your leadership.

    “Therefore, before proceeding further, on account of this observation , we want the Customs management to know that the presence of this committee before it implies that the Senate itself is before it to put things in order as regards the economic waste taking place in the Customs Service requiring the seriousness it deserves from you and the entire management.”

    Melaye insisted that the committee’s meeting with the Customs management was more or less that of the Senate.

    Apparently to indicate that the Senate was sitting, Melaye hit the gavel on the table to declare the meeting open.

    He read a speech to outline how the committee would carry out its investigation on the alleged economic waste in the Customs Service.

    In a counter attack, the Customs CG told the Senate delegation that the NCS has its own protocol, which is different from other public establishments.

    Col. Ali told the committee that the NCS would not want to be dictated to on matters of etiquette and protocol.

    He said: “We have our own protocol as regards receiving visitors like you. I don’t need to come downstairs to receive you just as nobody in the Senate or House of Representatives has ever come out to receive us anytime we visit the National Assembly.

    “So, there is no breach of protocol for not coming down to welcome you since appropriate officers have been assigned to do so. Our protocol is our protocol and should be allowed to be.

    “In fact, by way of etiquette, it is the committee that is supposed to come to my office first on arrival and not just come straight to the conference room.

    “Let me state clearly that we in the Nigeria Customs Service are servants of the people. We believe in Nigeria and working with others to make it great without being railroaded in anyway.

    “Personally, I took this job because of my commitment to serve this country selflessly, having earlier done so in the military. So, nobody can tell me that I’m not a committed Nigerian.

    “On your assignment you called economic waste, we shall cooperate with you to unearth whatever you want to unearth and effect any correction if there is any.”

    The Senate committee, which appeared not to be satisfied with Col. Ali’s reply, boycotted a group photograph organised by the Customs.

    As the visitors got set to leave the premises, they found that the Customs boss’ convoy was obstructing them – an action which they thought was deliberate. There was no official comment on this last night.

    While the Customs boss left the headquarters at about 2:15pm with his siren blaring convoy, the senators team left around 2:20pm after staying in their bus for about 15 minutes.

    Other lawmakers in the delegation are: Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Gilbert Nnaji ( Enugu East), Hamman Isah Misau ( Bauchi Central) and Babajide Omoworare ( Osun East).

  • Concerned senators donate 1,300 bags of rice to unpaid Kogi workers

    Concerned senators donate 1,300 bags of rice to unpaid Kogi workers

    Members of the Senate have donated 1,280 bags of rice as of Wednesday to Kogi State Government workers owed salaries.

    This was made know by lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, at a press briefing on Wednesday, where said he was spearheading donation of relief materials to Kogi workers over unpaid salaries.

    Melaye said, “Today, I drew the attention of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the plight of civil servants in my native Kogi State following the recent disturbing reports of deaths by suicide and inability to pay medical bills by some workers.

    “I’m happy to report to you that my colleagues in the Senate have immediately responded by donating bags of rice and other essential items to the workers in order to cushion the biting effects of non-payment of their salaries by the Kogi State government.

    “The donation, which amounted to 1,280 bags of rice as of today, and others that will follow later, will be handed over to the Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress for onward distribution to the most vulnerable workers who need immediate assistance.”

  • SERAP sues FG over refusal to stop ‘double-pay’ for ministers, senators

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sued the Federal Government over its “failure to stop former governors and now serving senators and ministers from receiving double pay and life pensions, and failure to seek recovery of over N40 billion of public funds unduly received by these public officers.”

    The suit number FHC/L/CS/1497/17 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court Ikoyi followed the organisation’s request to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, urging him to use his “position as a defender of public interest to institute legal actions to stop former governors from enjoying emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their positions as senators and ministers.”

    The suit brought pursuant to Order 34, Rules 1 and 3 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009 and the inherent jurisdiction of the court argues that, “Public function should be exercised in the public interest. Double emoluments promote private self-interest or self-dealing. By signing double emoluments laws, which they knew or ought to know that they would be beneficiaries, these former governors have abused their entrusted positions, and thereby obtained an undue advantage, contrary to article 19 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    The suit is seeking the following reliefs:

    An order granting leave to the Applicant to apply for Judicial Relief and to seek an order of Mandamus directing and or compelling the Respondent to urgently institute appropriate legal actions to challenge the legality of states’ laws permitting former governors, who are now senators and ministers to enjoy governors’ emoluments while drawing normal salaries and allowances in their new political offices; and to identify those involved and seek full recovery of public funds from the former governors.

    The organisation is also arguing that “Senators and ministers should not be receiving salaries and pensions running into billions of naira from states that are currently unwilling or unable to pay their workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements. National and international laws implicitly forbid public officials entrusted with public resources from granting to themselves emoluments for life while serving in other public offices including as senators and ministers.”

    The suit read in part: “Taking advantage of entrusted public offices and positions to enact laws to grant double emoluments and large severance benefits to serving public officials amounts to not only an abuse of office but also incorrect, dishonourable and improper performance of public functions, as per the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 8 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.”

    “By virtue of Sections 150 and 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 26 (2) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, the Respondent as the Chief Law Officer of the country and the defender of public interest is constitutionally and statutorily empowered to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person in Nigeria in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National assembly in superior courts in Nigeria.”

    “The Federal Government has a responsibility to stop former governors from receiving double pay at the expense of workers and pensioners. This position is buttressed by article 27 of the Vienna Convention on the Laws of Treaties, which provides that no state can justify the noncompliance with an international treaty with reference to internal law, including even the constitution.”

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

    It would be recalled that following SERAP’s letter to Mr. Malami, Senate President Bukola Saraki told the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja yesterday, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension “the moment I saw that SERAP allegation.” He said, “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.”

    So far, Kayode Fayemi Minister of Mines and Steel Development and his counterparts in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola have denied ever receiving double payments and retirement benefits as former governors in addition to other roles in public office.

    SERAP’s letter to Mr. Malami read in part: “Under the Lagos Pension Law a former governor will enjoy the following benefits for life: Two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja estimated to cost between N500m and N700m. Others are six brand new cars replaceable every three years; furniture allowance of 300 percent of annual salary to be paid every two years, and a close to N2.5 million as pension (about N30 million pension annually); free medicals including for his immediate families; 10 percent house maintenance; 30 percent car maintenance; 10 percent entertainment; 20 percent utility; and several domestic staff.”

    “In Rivers, state law provides 100 per cent of annual basic salaries for ex-governor and deputy, one residential house for former governor anywhere of his choice in Nigeria; one residential house anywhere in Rivers for the deputy, three cars for the ex-governor every four years; two cars for the deputy every four years; 300 per cent of annual basic salary every four years for furniture; 10 per cent of annual basic salary for house maintenance.”

    “In Akwa Ibom, state law provides for N200 million annual pay to ex-governors, deputies; pension for life at a rate equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor/deputy governor respectively; a new official car and utility-vehicle every four years; one personal aide and provision of adequate security; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5m per month and N2.5m for the deputy governor. Others are: free medical services for governor and spouse at an amount not exceeding N100 million for the governor per annum and N50m for the deputy governor; a five-bedroom mansion in Abuja and Akwa Ibom and allowance of 300 percent of annual basic salary for the deputy governor; 300 per cent of annual basic salary every four years and severance gratuity.”

    “Similarly, the Kano State Pension Rights of Governor and Deputy Governor Law 2007 provides for 100 per cent of annual basic salaries for former governor and deputy; furnished and equipped office; a 6-bedroom house; well-furnished 4-bedroom for deputy, plus an office; free medical treatment along with immediate families within and outside Nigeria where necessary; two drivers; and a provision for a 30- day vacation within and outside Nigeria.”

    “In Gombe State, there is N300 million executive pension benefits for the ex-governors. In Kwara State, the 2010 law gives a former governor two cars and a security car replaceable every three years; a well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex; 300 per cent of his salary as furniture allowance; five personal staff; three State Security Services; free medical care for the governor and the deputy; 30 per cent of salary for car maintenance; 20 per cent for utility; 10 percent for entertainment; 10 per cent for house maintenance.”

    “In Zamfara State, former governors receive pension for life; two personal staff; two vehicles replaceable every four years; two drivers, free medical for the former governors and deputies and their immediate families in Nigeria or abroad; a 4-bedroom house in Zamfara and an office; free telephone and 30 days paid vacation outside Nigeria. In Sokoto State, former governors and deputy governors are to receive N200 million and N180 million respectively being monetization for other entitlements which include domestic aides, residence and vehicles that could be renewed after every four years.”

    “The abolition of such laws therefore is a necessary first step towards delivering on the constitutional promise of equal protection and equal benefit of the law for a distressingly large number of Nigerians. Otherwise, public officials will remain seriously out of touch with a major source of poverty and discrimination in the country.”

    “According to our information, those who reportedly receive double emoluments and large severance benefits from their states include: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Kabiru Gaya (Kano); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Theodore Orji (Abia); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara); Joshua Dariye (Plateau), and Jonah Jang (Plateau). Others include: Ahmed Sani Yarima (Zamfara); Danjuma Goje (Gombe); Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Adamu Aliero (Kebbi); George Akume (Benue); and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).”