It is wrong for Nigerian lawmakers to determine their salaries, collect ‘pant’, ‘defecation’ allowances: Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says it is immoral for Nigerian federal lawmakers to determine their salaries and allocate themselves all sorts of allowances, including “pant” and defecation allowances.

Mr Obasanjo made this remark about the Nigerian National Assembly when he hosted some lawmakers at his library in Abeokuta over the weekend.

“With all due respect, you are not supposed to fix your salaries or allowances. It is supposed to be done by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission,” Mr Obasanjo told the lawmakers who visited him. “But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you pay yourself: newspaper allowances, pant allowances, shitting allowances.”

Mr Obasanjo further said, “You give yourselves all sorts of things. And you know it is not right. It is not right for me to determine what I pay myself. It is immoral. And you’re doing it, the Senate is doing it. And you beat your chest. And in some cases even the executive gives you what you are not entitled to.”

The former president’s criticisms of Nigerian lawmakers comes as clamour for cut down on pay and allowances of the lawmakers intensify.

During the just concluded 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest, protesters called for unilateral legislative system, cut down on salaries of lawmakers, amongst other things.

However, the Nigerian Senate has responded to Mr Obasanjo’s criticism, saying it was “uncharitable and satanic.”

In a statement, the Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, on Sunday, said lawmakers salaries and allowances are determined by RMFAC contrary to Mr Obasanjo’s criticism.

“The Senate challenged anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts, describing any suggestion that the National Assembly fixes its own salaries as “uncharitable and satanic,” the statement read.