Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, stated on Wednesday that he received ₦25 million as an allowance while in office, countering the public belief that National Assembly members receive exorbitant salaries and allowances.
Dogara, who represented the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency of Bauchi State and served in the 8th National Assembly from 2015 to 2019, made this statement during the ‘Legislative Open Week’ organized by the House of Representatives at the National Assembly in Abuja. He aimed to clarify public misconceptions about the compensation of federal legislators.
However, Dogara did not specify whether the ₦25 million allowance was a monthly, yearly, or total sum for his four-year tenure.
“My allowances, everything as Speaker then, was ₦25 million. I asked my accountant to open an account for this money because this money was not mine.
“Even when we talk about the allowances people think are humongous, Mr. Speaker forgive me, the House should forgive me,” he said.
Dogara also mentioned that his salary as Speaker was less than ₦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. 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 explained.