Spokesman: Reps members earn N600,000 monthly not N900,000

The spokesman for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, has disclosed that lawmakers earn N600,000 monthly as salary as against the N900,000 speculated.

Rotimi made this known in a statement on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

The House spokesman also reaffirmed the commitment of the lawmakers to the 50 per cent deduction in their salary to reduce hardship in Nigeria.

He stated: “The House of Representatives has been inundated by some media outlets reporting claims of discrepancies in the salaries of members, suggesting that we received 100 per cent of their July salaries.

“The report claimed that our salary amounted to N936,979.

“We wish to clarify that the actual monthly salary for members is N600,000, after deductions for advances such as housing, which are paid at the commencement of the tenure.”

Rotimi noted that the member who displayed his salary on a television programme was an exceptional case because he assumed office through a court decision many months after the onboarding process was concluded.

Reps slash salaries by 50% over economic hardship

Rotimi stated that the House remained committed to the resolution passed on July 18, which mandated a 50 per cent reduction in the salaries of members for six months.

The House spokesperson said: “We acknowledge and regret that this resolution was not implemented by the bureaucracy as intended for the month of July.

“Resolutions of the House are ratified when the votes and proceedings of plenary are adopted on the next legislative day. Consequently, the bureaucracy was only formally instructed on July 23.”

He added that the delay in the implementation was due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions.

Rotimi further stated that instructions for adjusting salaries had since been issued and would be enforced moving forward to ensure its pledge is fully realised

“There is nothing to investigate, as some media houses reported, as the House’s position on this matter had been provided to some journalists who had reached out for clarification,” the House spokesman said.

He, therefore, called for patience and assured the House of its adherence to its pledge and sustained efforts to earn the trust and confidence of Nigerians.

The Star