N70bn Allocated To Rep Members A Cry For Help – Femi Falana

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Post created on 9:10 am

 

 

Femi Falana, SAN and human rights activist has held to his opinion on how the N500 billion palliative and how N110 was allocated to the National Assembly without thinking of the masses.

The controversies surrounding the disbursement of N70 billion to members of the National Assembly with an additional N40 billion for the purchase of bulletproof cars have made the activist call for an immediate reversal.

The lawyer disclosed this information in a statement where he described the Senate as making a mockery of the 1999 constitution and the insensitivity of the House members despite the economic hardship of the nation.

The statement was titled by the lawyer Palliative of N110 billion for National Assembly members is illegal and contemptuous and it reads as below

“Out of sheer insensitivity coupled with impunity, the members of the National Assembly regardless of political affiliation conspired to breach the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 by padding the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2023 to provide the so-called palliative of N70 billion for 306 newly elected members.

“While the masses of Nigeria are groaning under the excruciating economic pains unleashed on them by the ruling class, the National Assembly has awarded N228.7 million to each of the newly elected legislators.

“As if that is not enough, the members of the National Assembly have earmarked N40 billion to purchase 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members. However, the legislators approved the sum of N500 billion for 12 million indigent people in a country where the National Bureau of Statistics has said that “62.9 per cent of people (133 million) are multidimensionally poor.”

“The callous and insensitive decisions of the members of the National Assembly constitute a flagrant contravention of Section 70 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, which stipulates as follows:

“A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives shall receive such salary and other allowances as Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission may determine.”

[SA]