Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has asked the Executive arm of Government to lead by example by cutting its own salaries, allowances and other office running costs before advising others to do so.
Kalu who said this while addressing newsmen on Thursday November 12, stated that the National Assembly budget controls less than 1 per cent of the total budget of the country and the N128 billion National Assembly budget is not shared to the lawmakers but used to run the National Assembly and its agencies.
He said;
“The 0.8 per cent of the national budget for the National Assembly is not enough to run the institution. If you want to cut salaries, expenses, cost of governance, start it from the executive.
“That’s the truth because the 0.8 per cent you’re talking about takes care of the senate and house. People think that the money that comes to the national assembly is divided by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“That’s a wrong narrative being sold and that’s what Nigerians believe. That’s why my office is actually engaging in what’s called infographics, that are going to be released very soon.
“That will break it down, once members approve it, so that you know where everything goes to. Nigerians will be shocked that people they thought were rich are not able to meet their needs and that’s the truth.
“It’s high time we started at the 99.902 per cent of the national budget and stop focusing on the 0.8 per cent of the national assembly.”
Kalu reiterated that it is deceitful that Nigerians are being made to focus only on the national assembly instead of other arms of government.
He added;
“Nigerians are not focusing on that, rather they’ve been conditioned to focus on the 0.8 per cent.
“Nigerians need to change their focus and find out what’s happening to that 99.902 per cent.”
