Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has reiterated the need for transparency in the handling of parliamentary funds, particularly concerning senators’ salaries and the cost of running their offices.
Sani expressed his concerns during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, where he reacted to Senator Kawu Sumaila’s recent disclosure that each senator receives 21 million naira monthly for office expenses.
“Since 1999, one thing that has remained shielded from the public is the allowances, payments, and finances of parliamentarians,” Sani stated.
Reflecting on his own experience, he said, “When I went to the Senate in 2015, I was first on the field as an activist and was one of those calling for the Senate to open its books and the need for transparency and openness for taxpayers, especially to know how much their representatives are earning.”
In 2017, Sani famously revealed that his account was credited with 13.5 million naira monthly as running costs, separate from his 750,000 naira salary.
He explained, “When anybody is elected into the parliament, there are three categories of payment he receives: the salary, the running cost of office, and the constituency project funds. But you are not given this large sum of money. These funds are domiciled in government agencies.”
Sani acknowledged the challenges in managing these funds transparently, especially with constituency projects. “The problem emerged when there was no transparency with the way the constituency funds were managed,” he said.
He noted that under the Buhari administration, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was tasked with monitoring these projects, but he expressed skepticism about the commission’s capacity to oversee all projects nationwide.
Commenting on Senator Kawu’s disclosure, Sani remarked, “What Kawu did was to second what I did many years ago by disclosing the money.”
He criticised the Resource Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission for downplaying the issue, saying, “When I heard the Resource Mobilisation and Fiscal Allegation Commission making claims that senators are only given 1 million naira, it brought more light on the need for transparency.”
Calling for a clear distinction between the roles of lawmakers and the executive branch, particularly regarding the management of constituency funds, he said, “When people are elected into the legislative arm of government, they should be able to make laws and perform oversight functions as a parliament. They should not be saddled with the responsibility of building schools, roads, and hospitals.”
Reflecting on his time in the Senate, Sani recalled the backlash he faced for his transparency efforts. “When I made that disclosure, 80% of the senators were angry with me,” he said, adding that he was nearly suspended if not for the intervention of former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
In light of Nigeria’s current economic challenges, Sani urged the nation’s leaders to make sacrifices. “When a nation in its history is faced with this kind of storm and turbulence, it is expected that the leadership should lead by example in terms of sacrifices. Leaders should be seen making sacrifices for the people to appreciate and say it is the right way to go.”
Sani also shed light on the silence of opposition members in the Senate regarding these issues, citing the conformity expected within the chamber. “When you go to the Senate, whether as PDP, APC, etc., there are rules you have to abide by, and whatever you say has consequences,” he explained. “If you step one leg different from the current in the Senate, you have a price to pay and are most likely to stand alone.”
NANCY MBAMALU
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