Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, clarified that contrary to widespread belief, his total allowances during his tenure amounted to ₦25 million.
He represented the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency of Bauchi State and served as the 13th Speaker of the House from 2015 to 2019.
However, Dogara did not specify whether this ₦25 million was earned monthly, annually, or for the entirety of his four-year tenure.
Speaking at an event in Abuja, he expressed curiosity about the origins of the perception that National Assembly members receive inflated salaries.
“My allowances, everything as a Speaker then, was ₦25 million. I asked my accountant to open an account for this money because this money was not mine,” he said.
“Even we talk about the allowances the people think are humongous, Mr Speaker forgive me, the House should forgive me.”
‘Allow Speaker Breathe’
The matter of how funds are managed in the National Assembly has been a prominent topic in national discussions for an extended period. Many Nigerians argue that federal lawmakers receive substantial compensation despite increasing poverty levels in the country.
While the exact salaries of federal lawmakers have not been disclosed publicly, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announced in June 2023 an increase of 114 percent in the salaries of politicians, judiciary officials, and public office holders.
However, Dogara insisted that during his tenure, his monthly salary never exceeded ₦400,000.
“I don’t know whether they have increased it but when I was there, my salary was not up to ₦400,000 a month. So a young man in my constituency said, ‘You mean this is your salary? I can even hire you to work for me.
“Honestly speaking, there was never a time I took one naira out of that account home. As a matter of fact, there was never a time that money lasted three days. I am saying this so that even Honourable members who are here should let the Speaker and Deputy Speaker breathe
“Whatever a member gets, citizens must know this. No matter how stingy that member is because of expectations from our citizens, it is very difficult for that money to last for a month in the hands of that member,” Dogara added.