A Nigerian senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, has said that it is ”silly for
certain Nigerians to come to him with questions on the salaries of
senators.”
Mr. Murray-Bruce, 61, who represents Bayelsa East Senatorial
District, said Saturday on Twitter, “Except you are my constituent, it
is silly for anyone to have a problem with the Senate’s salaries and
come to me.
“Go to your own senator!” he exploded on his handle.
It is unclear what may have prompted the outburst from the senator,
known for issuing short statements on the nation’s socio-economic and
political challenges.
However, there has been public pressure on lawmakers to reveal how much they actually receive as salaries and allowances.
The Nigerian Senate and Itse Sagay, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, have been sparring lately over the latter’s claim that a senator’s monthly salary was about N29 million and over N3 billion a year.
The Senate said the figures presented by Mr. Sagay were false and exaggerated.
Senators and House of Representatives members reportedly earn as much
as N6.78 billion as their official salaries and allowances in one year,
according to a report published by PREMIUM TIMES last year.