National Assembly broke, borrows to pay workers
Cash-strapped National Assembly has resorted to bank facilities to pay its staff their monthly salaries and allowances.But the facilities do not include the controversial running cost paid to lawmakers, as well as the salaries and allowances for their aides. About N4.5 billion is spent on the running cost of lawmakers in the two houses of the National Assembly. The sum of N13.5 million is paid to each senator while a member of the House of Representatives gets a little above half of this. The balance is paid out to legislative aides. In anger last week, legislative aides rose in protest against the non-payment of their salaries and allowances. Several sources yesterday confirmed the resort to bank overdrafts to pay salaries of “strictly National Assembly staff,” but the Director of Information to the National Assembly, Mr. Ishaku Adamu Dibal, said he was not aware of the development that had happened at least twice in the past. It was gathered that August and September...