House spokesperson Akin Rotimi has clarified in a statement on Wednesday that the House of Representatives’ monthly salary is N600,000, not the N900,000 being speculated.
Rotimi addressed the discrepancies reported by some media outlets regarding the lawmakers’ salaries in Abuja, confirming that members receive N600,000 monthly after deductions for advances such as housing, which are paid at the start of their tenure.
Rotimi reiterated the House’s commitment to a 50 percent salary reduction to alleviate hardship. He explained that the resolution passed on July 18, which mandated a six-month, 50 percent salary reduction, was not implemented for July due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions.
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 our 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.”
He noted that the member who displayed his salary on a TV programme was an exception, as he assumed office through a court decision many months after the initial on-boarding process was completed.
Rotimi assured that instructions for salary adjustments had been issued and would be enforced moving forward. He called for patience and confirmed the House’s dedication to earning the trust and confidence of Nigerians.
“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,” Rotimi added.
He said that the delay in the implementation was due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions.
The lawmaker added that instructions for adjusting salaries had since been issued and would be enforced moving forward to ensure its pledge 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,” he stressed.
(NAN)
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