Jonathan, Sambo, others to get N3.24bn severance pay

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-
president Namadi Sambo, non-
returning federal lawmakers,
ministers and presidential aides
will collect N3.24bn as severance
allowances, investigation by The
PUNCH has shown.
The severance allowances are
contained in the Remuneration
Package put together by the
Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation
and Fiscal Commission.
According to the package, Jonathan,
who will hand over to the
President-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari, on May 29, is entitled to 300
per cent of his annual basic salary.
The President’s annual basic salary
is put at N3, 514,705 and therefore
his severance allowance will be
N10, 544,115 after May 29.
The severance allowance is without
prejudice to his other
constitutional entitlements as a
former head of government.
Similarly, Vice-President Sambo,
who leaves office the same day as
Jonathan, is also entitled to 300 per
cent of his annual basic salary put at
N3, 031,572.50. This means that his
severance allowance after May 29 is
N9, 094,717.50.
For having held the office of vice-
president, Sambo also has some
constitutional entitlements and
perks.
About 76 senators are not returning
to the National Assembly either
because they did not stand for
election or because they lost their
bids to return. They are however
entitled to N462,019,200 at the
expiration of their tenure on June 5.
Like Jonathan and Sambo, they are
entitled to 300 per cent of their
annual basic salaries as severance
allowances. This amounts to N6,
079,200 per senator.
In the House of Representatives,
about 290 members are not
returning to the 8th National
Assembly to be proclaimed into
existence by Buhari on June 5.
Each of the members is entitled to
N5, 955,637.50 as severance
allowance. This means that the 290
members will be paid N1,
727,134,875.
The ministers, on the other hand,
will be collecting a total of N253,
967,212.5. There are 42 ministers in
Jonathan’s cabinet. Thirty one of
them are senior ministers and 11
are ministers of state.
Each of the senior ministers is
entitled to N6, 079,200 severance
allowance while each of the
ministers of state will receive N5,
872,740.
This means that collectively, the
senior ministers will get N188,
455,200 at the expiration of their
tenure on May 29 while collectively,
the ministers of state will be
collecting N65, 512,012.5 .
The aides to the President
comprising special advisers, senior
special assistants and special
assistants will get N775, 207,125.
There are 23 of them who work
with the president as special
advisers. Apart from this number,
however, there are several others
estimated at 110 who work with
the vice-president, the First Lady
(Patience Jonathan) and special
advisers that are designated either
as senior special assistants or
special assistants to the President.
This means that there are about 133
aides to the president and each of
them is entitled to 300 per cent of
their annual basic salary which
amounts to N5, 828,625.
The Nigerian democracy has been
identified as one of the costliest in
the world as a result of a large
number of political office holders.
Some experts, for instance, think
that a cabinet made up of 42
ministers is too large. However,
constitutionally, each of the 36
states is expected to be
represented in the Federal
Executive Council.
Bicameralism is another source of
worry for many observers who
believe that Nigeria can do with
one chamber of the National
Assembly. Some Nigerians have
called for part-time legislature as a
means of saving cost.
However, the worry of many
Nigerians is not what the
lawmakers earn monthly but what
accrues to them through self-
appropriation and constituency
projects.
Two activist lawyers – Jiti Ogunye
and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa – faulted
the basis for earmarking such an
amount of money for such purposes
in the face of the economic
challenges the country is grappling
with.
While Adegboruwa argued that the
political office holders were not
entitled to any severance
allowance given what they earned
as salaries and benefits while in
office, Ogunye called for a drastic
cut in the allowances.
Adegboruwa said that since the
political office holders had been
paid what could sustain them and
their families for the rest of their
lives, they were no longer
entitled to severance allowance.
He said, “I believe that given the
monumental and outrageous
salaries, benefits and allowances
that are being paid to the outgoing
members of this executive, the
legislators especially the House of
Representatives, senators and
ministers, I believe they should
save Nigerians from the luxury of
any outrageous allowance.
“This incoming government needs
a lot of resources to fulfil its
campaign promises. Our incoming
government is likely to remain
stagnant for now. Nigeria cannot
afford the luxury in the name of
severance allowance. Our people
are suffering. They should have
mercy on Nigeria. What they have
taken is enough to sustain them
and their families for the rest of
their lives.”
Ogunye said, “While the RMAFAC
could have its own scale,
guidelines and parameters for
determining those political office
holders who qualify for these
severance benefits and the
quantum each of them and all of
them should recieve, we cannot
but point out that this amount, in
the circumstances of our dire
economic situation, is outrageous.
“It is carrying the culture of
profligacy and corruption in the
conduct of our public affairs too far.
At this point of economic recession
and dwindling oil revenue, RMFAC
ought to be chiefly concerned with
revenue mobilisation to cater for
the shortfall in the funding of the
yet to be passed 2015 Appropriation
bill.
“We suggest a drastic cut in the
amount. Political office holders do
not necessarily serve Nigeria more
and better than school teachers,
lecturers, judges, health workers et
cetra, who take home modest
gratituities and pensions after 35
years of service.”
The Publicity Secretary of the pan-
Yoruba group, Afenifere, Yinka
Odumakin, said, “It is unjust and
morally reprehensible for these
officials who mostly have fleeced
the public till with veracious
rapacity to legislate crazy
retirement benefits.
“It is nothing but robbing the
public for people who lived off the
state for four or eight years to want
to become permanent liability on
the system.
“This is a country where civil
servants who served the country
for 35 years are queuing to death
for pensions that mostly remain
unpaid. There are no serious
countries in the world where public
officials earn what ours take not to
talk of the sickening retirement
benefits they ask for.”

Hmm

Mouth sealed...