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A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has disclosed details of his remuneration while he was the number four citizen, declaring that his salary was less than 400,000 naira.
Dogara, who represented Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal constituency of Bauchi State, however, said his allowance as Speaker between 2015 and 2019 was 25 million naira.
The former lawmaker made this known while speaking at the two-day ‘Legislative Open Week’ organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
His revelation was aimed at dispelling the public perception that federal legislators collect humongous amounts as salaries and allowances.
Though he didn't indicate whether the ₦25m allowance was for monthly, yearly, or the whole of his four-year spell in the House, Dogara hinted that the money was insufficient to cater to the demands on him.
“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.
“Even we talk about the allowances the people think are humongous, Mr Speaker forgive me, the House should forgive me,” he said.
Speaking further, the former Speaker said, “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.