Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, took a swipe at members of the National Assembly over what he called their outrageous salary package. Obasanjo said the legislators’ humongous remuneration was neither constitutional nor moral.
The former president spoke in Ado-Ekiti during a colloquium to mark Aare Afe Babalola’s 60th anniversary at the bar. He argued that nobody would appreciate democracy until it had impacted positively on the lives of the ordinary people.
Speaking at the occasion, Obasanjo described democracy as a journey and not a destination, explaining that democracy can only be strengthened if the players respect and implement the constitution to the letter.
“Democracy doesn’t mean anything to any man who is hungry, whose life is in danger or whose property is being destroyed,” Obasanjo said.
Pointedly addressing the remuneration of National Assembly members, Obasanjo alleged that the legislators did not allow the institution constitutionally saddled with the responsibility to determine their pay, but decided to fix it themselves.
He stated, “By the Nigerian constitution, the revenue mobilisation and fiscal commission is supposed to fix the salaries and emoluments of members of the National Assembly. But they set the constitution aside and decided to fix their salaries. Even if it’s constitutional, it is not moral. But it is neither constitutional nor moral.”
Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
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