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Nigerian Senators Are The Highest Paid In The World, They Are Unarmed Robbers – Obasanjo
August 17, 2017 – Nigerian Senators Are The Highest Paid In The World, They Are Unarmed Robbers – Obasanjo
Ex- President Olusegun Obasanjo Thursday in Ibadan described members of the National Assembly as a “bunch of unarmed robbers”, over their huge salaries and allowances.
Obasanjo, who hit hard at the National lawmakers, said the current legislators are one of the highest paid lawmakers in the world, despite the fact that an estimated 75 percent of Nigerians populace live in poverty.
He added that the arm of government should be roundly condemned.
The former president spoke at the book presentation of Prof. Mark Nwagwu entitled: “I am Kagara, I Weave the Sands of Sahara”.
The event, which held at the University of Ibadan, had Obasanjo as the Chief Host while the former Minister of Education, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili chaired the occasion.
Stressing that he is expecting another round of bashing from the federal lawmakers, the former President said he would continue to lambast them for constituting a huge percentage of the nation’s overhead cost.
He lamented that the nation would hardly develop when about 90 percent of revenue was spent on overhead costs, rather than on capital expenses.
Speaking on the ongoing impasse between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the 2009 agreement, Obasanjo, said government allowed itself to be stampeded into signing agreements without full consultation within government.
However, he added that regardless of that, the government was bound to implement whatever agreement reached with workers’ unions.
He said:
“Government allows itself to be stampeded into signing agreement particularly when one group or the other withdraws their service and go on strike. After the agreement has been signed, without full consultation within government, and implementation becomes an issue.
“But an agreement is an agreement whoever the agent is that signed that agreement on your behalf, you are bound by it. You may now have to renegotiate to have a new agreement but the agreement earlier signed remains an agreement.
“The universities teachers go on strike, there is an agreement; doctors go on strike, there will be a special agreement. And when the universities teachers see that the agreement reached with the doctors is different from theirs, they again go on strike and this is bad for our economy.
“The way we are going about spending all our revenue to pay overhead, we will not develop. And we will have ourselves to blame. Ninety percent of revenue is used to pay overhead, allowances, salaries and not much is left for capital development.
“In a situation like that, we have to rethink.
“It is even worse for the National Assembly. They will abuse me again but I will never stop talking about them. They are a bunch of unarmed robbers.”
“They are one of the highest paid in the world where we have 75 percent of our people living in abject poverty. They will abuse me tomorrow and if they don’t, maybe they are sleeping. The behaviour and character of the National Assembly should be condemned and roundly condemned.”
In her remarks at the occasion, the Chairperson of the event, Dr. Ezekwesili, remarked that the 289-page book, was a tool for Nigeria to examine the extent to which she had lost her values and culture.
She decried the loss of community spirit, warning that Nigeria must never negotiate her values.
According to her, the world was currently such that humanity tried to figure out what happened to morality.
The book reviewer, Mr Nwachukwu Egbunike, in his remarks on the book noted the theme of feminism and how women navigate life intricacies towards achieving success in life.
Egbunike also lauded the author’s ability to weave around different concepts in both the spirit and natural world.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, University of Ibadan, Professor Olanike Adeyemo remarked that Nwagwu’s book was a veritable instrument to help the younger generation keep touch with culture.
The event was attended by both academic and non-academic staff of the university who were on hand to celebrate the author and his wife, Helen.
[source]
DB
August 17, 2017 at 7:13 PM
This baba should go and sit down jare. Who introduced their bizzare earnings?
Omokehinde
August 17, 2017 at 9:54 PM
Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Baba Iyabo because I strongly believe former president Olusegun Obasanjo is the pioneer of corruption in Nigerian system. But Baba is correct on the fact that Nigerian legislators are unramef robbers preventing Nigerian people from benefiting from the dividends of democracy. In England, United States, Isreal and other matured democracies in the world, their citizens know the salaries and allowances of their elected legislative members because of transparency and respect for their people or electorate, but that is not the case in our messy and highly corrupt system. I still remember clearly that Baba Iyabo first clash as President with thieves in both “Houses of Looters” in Abuja was argument about millions of naira they budgeted for themselves as furniture allowances. For over twenty years of our demonstration of craziness, what have ordinary citizens benefit from our elected officials? Nothing but looting and embezzlement of our money while majority of our people are living in abject poverty. They destroyed our education but send their children abroad to study, they stole billions of dollars from us to develop White men nations, they destroyed our healthcare while they go abroad with their families for first class medical care, they put millions of Nigerians in darkness to encourage generators importation to make China wealthy, they looted our infrastructural funds to buy mansions in Dubai, Europe and America. Succession, religious conflicts, hatred, unnecessary agitation and tribalism are not our problems, but demanding for our rights and total transparency from our criminal, crooked, and wicked politicians is the answer and the only way forward. Here I rest my case.
uzoma
August 18, 2017 at 12:00 AM
@Omokehinde your analysis is 100% correct. I agree with you wholly. Here in America, the salaries and other emoluments of Senators and Reps.is made public and if you do not know there is a website you go to get what you what to know. They are public servants and anything pertaining to them is made public. They drive themselves to and from work. Some even take the train to and from work. Senators do not earn more that $150,000 per anum . The reps earn less. The government cars assigned to them, they leave it behind when they leave office or voted out. Our (NIGERIAN) thieving senators, Reps., Governors, and even local government chairmen come here and they see these things but what impact does it have on them? zero. This I know very well. About 10 years ago, a newly elected local government chairman of Owerri north came here once money was made available to him to develop his local government, bought a house and relocated his wife and children to New York area. The rate at which they are looting that country if care is not taken Nigeria will go bankrupt in no distant future. I do not lay the whole blame on them. The masses see this and do nothing. From Tinubu the biggest thief in Nigeria down to the driver and house maids and the presidents all are corrupt. Even Buhari who is fighting corruption is not so clean but at least he is trying to do something about it. It will not be a clean fight if he absolves the likes of Tinubu and other corrupt elements in his party. It is not only in PDP we have corrupt politicians.
Jilo
August 17, 2017 at 11:09 PM
Oh! It is now that you realize that Nigeria Senators are the highest paid in the entire world. Even though what you are saying is true, you are not in the best position to make it known to the public. All social evils that engulfed Nigeria today started when you took mantle of power in 1999. Nigeria has never been like this bad before you assumed power. You initiated political thuggery, you started political assassination when Bola Ige was killed under your watch and you never dim it fit to find the killers. You turned Aso Rock to Ritual mansion all other leaders coming after you never succeeded. Kidnapping stated when you were the president. I can go on and on. So therefore, keep your mouth shut and wait to breath your last breath plus I don’t think history will ever forgets you for what the evil you’ ve caused in Nigeria.
Danti
August 18, 2017 at 12:10 AM
This old man needs to keep quiet, what did he do to curb the problem when he had the opportunity to clean up the system. I don’t like it when he plays a saint when his records prove otherwise.
Mon
August 18, 2017 at 1:10 AM
You can never stop this your drama OBJ,telling people what they want to hear, preaching without practicing. All of you Nigeria politicians are in the same boat,with a single agenda…to keep the masses in darkness.. Your days are numbered (all Nigeria politicians),what the masses are suffering from your hands is not only greed,but wickedness.
Elvis
August 18, 2017 at 9:11 AM
OBJ with due respect during your tenure things was worst than this and you equally handed over to Late Yaradua of your party to cover your mess. Your daughter stole our energy money that amount to millions of USD. You did not say anything then. And Buhari government is covering all that you did but you are busy castigating the system. You wasted Nigeria wealth for your so called FESTAC in the 70s. in your come back as a president oil bluck was ceded to yourself and your cronies right now oil got no value. you are busy talking about politicians that are busy enjoying what you put in place as free Bs.
Let Nigeria alone OBJ sir.
ADE EAGLE
August 19, 2017 at 12:28 AM
old cow shameless baba Iyabo what did you do when you was in power for many years ? you even wanted to come back and rule for the 3rd term as an elected president you are also a corrupt bastard we all know how PDP won election when you was in power