Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of being the originator of corruption within the National Assembly.
Kawu’s accusation comes in response to Obasanjo’s recent comments, where the former president criticised lawmakers for allegedly fixing their salaries and allowances despite the country’s economic challenges.
“When you are talking about corruption, it is Obasanjo who introduced corruption into the National Assembly,” Kawu said during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’.
He further alleged that Obasanjo’s administration attempted to corrupt members of the National Assembly to alter the Constitution, allowing him to seek a third term as president.
“I have proof because it is his government and his associates who corrupted some members of the National Assembly for them to alter the Constitution for him to continue [to contest for a third term as president],” the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports added.
The controversy over lawmakers’ salaries and allowances has been a longstanding issue, with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) revealing that each senator earns N1 million.
However, Kawu recently disclosed that senators actually take home N21 million monthly, a figure that has sparked further debate.
Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani echoed Kawu’s sentiments, advocating for greater transparency in the earnings of National Assembly members.
“During my time in the Senate, I was pricked by my conscience as an activist who went to unveil what has been secret for over two decades… It was N13.5 million,” Sani said during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Lunchtime Politics’.
Following Obasanjo’s accusations, the National Assembly dismissed the claims as unfounded.
Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu refuted the allegations, stating that lawmakers’ salaries and allowances are determined by the RMAFC in accordance with the Constitution.
“To straighten the records, the Senate receives only the salary allocated constitutionally by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission. We challenge anyone who is privileged, either in a qualified or absolute position to bring forth any contrary fact,” Adaramodu said in a statement. He added that any suggestion that lawmakers fix their salaries is “uncharitable and satanic,” accusing critics of political hypocrisy.
Adaramodu further clarified that no senator has received any financial favors from the Presidency, emphasising the legislature’s commitment to transparency.
