Activist and Nigerian Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, comrade Shehu Sani, Saturday, insisted it was now time for Nigerians to demand with immediate effect what President Muhammadu Buhari and others working in the presidency collect as salaries and running cost of the Aso Villa itself.
Speaking in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital as guest speaker at the 5th lecture of Olalekan Olomide Platform for Development held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Sani said he disclosed the “take home” of the Senate to eliminate the stigma and wrong perceptions of Nigerians about members of the National Assembly.
He said: “Now that Nigerians have known the salary and allowances of Senators, they (Nigerians) should request from the presidency the running cost of the Aso Rock Villa.
“Nigerians should now demand for what the President collect, what the Chief of Staff collect, what the SGF collect, the Ministers and the running cost.
“Now that you have known how much we Senators earn, leave us alone and ask other political office holders how much they too earn. I revealed how much we earn to remove secrecy.
“Ask your governors how much they collect as salary, we need to now ask members of the various state Houses of Assemblies how much is their salary, and the commissioners how much is their running cost monthly.”
Speaking on reaction of members of the Senate to the development, Sani said: “The Senate has never threatened me, and has never treated me badly. I am not aware of any penalty against me for now.
“All what they did was to call me and confirm for now. I appreciate the response of the Senate for now.”
Comrade Sani also declared that failure of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to resolve the crises in many state chapters may affect the fortunes of the political party in the 2019 general elections.
He specifically said that the political crises in Kaduna state and other state chapters in APC were as a result of the failure of the national leadership of the party to address some complaints promptly.
According to him, “the crisis in Kaduna APC would not have degenerated to the level of a party Secretariat being demolished if the national leadership of the party had acted on time.”
Sani said, “If there is no resolution of the crises in Kaduna, Kogi, Rivers and other state chapters of the APC, it is certainly going to affect the fortunes of our party in 2019. We can only win when we are united in peace.”
He also stated that it would be difficult for the ruling party to win the 2019 general elections without fulfilling the 2015 campaign promises, and properly addressing the security challenges in the country.
He urged loyalists of President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow their love for the President prevent them from always telling him (Buhari) the truth, declaring that the spate of killings in some parts of the country was not acceptable.
Present at the event were Chairman of the occasion, Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Mr. Toye Arulogun and former commissioner for Environment in the state Barrister Lowo Obisesan, among other guests.
Dear Senator Sani…thank you for all your candor and relentless way of telling us what is going on in the country…we are very appreciative of that. But one thing to the above story and indication:
1) You know very much that they’d rather die 10, 000 times than to tell or reveal to the public what their salaries are. They’d waive it off with their hands and say that it’s non of our business. So, since you’re the ONLY one in the country who can tell this truth, why not do us one more favor and let us know? Many are called to serve their country in different ways…this is indeed, your way of serving!
Cash Ezimako