Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, revealed on Wednesday that his total allowance as Speaker was 25 million naira, while his salary was 400 thousand naira.
He made this clarification during the two-day House of Representatives open week celebration in Abuja.
Dogara addressed the public misconception that members of the National Assembly earn excessively high salaries and allowances. He emphasized that this misconception has tarnished the image of the National Assembly, leading people to label its members as thieves.
“While I was Speaker, my salary was 400 thousand naira and my total allowance was 25 million naira,” Dogara stated.
He explained that he instructed his accountant to open a separate account for his allowances and never took any money out for personal use.
“Everything that came into that account was used to cater for the needs of constituents,” he added.
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Dogara shared that his accountant often complained about the high level of demand on the account. He advised his accountant to borrow money if the funds ran out and repay it when new funds came in.
Dogara urged Nigerians to give their representatives some breathing space and understand that the narrative about members’ pay is not true.
“It is important that Nigerians allow their Representatives to work and limit the financial demands on them,” he said.