The Nigeria Labour Congress has decried the daily payment of N46,000 to members of the National Assembly as newspaper allowance and have advised the lwamakers to slash down their salaries or will be forced to do so.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said a situation where a worker receives N18,000 as minimum wage and a senator or member of the House of Representatives get N46,000 daily as newspapers allowance was unacceptable.
He said all public office holders must conform to the change being preached by President Muhammadu Buhari, as most Nigerians were desirous of change.
He said: “If you are collecting N46,000 as newspapers allowance daily and somebody is working almost every day but collecting N18,000 for 30 days, I think it is unacceptable.
“We want change in this country and everybody must conform to the change.
“The National Assembly must be ready to make sacrifices.”
The NLC president said that if the executive could sacrifice 50 per cent of its salary, the National Assembly should also toe the same path by making sacrifice for the country.
He said: “The executive, which is one arm of government, has made sacrifice of 50 per cent of its salary. The National Assembly should not be an exception.
“They should cut their jumbo pay.”
Wabba warned that if the legislators refused to see reason and slash their salaries and allowances, Nigerians would force it down their throat.
He said: “If they are not ready to do it through due process and slash their jumbo pay, then Nigerians will force them. We will approach them by force to do it.”
He said it was time Nigerians took their destiny in their hands by ensuring that the legislature toed the line of change and begin to work for their interest.
It will be recalled that attempts have been made in the past to have the lawmakers’ salaries slashed but were futile exercises.
The National Assembly budget for 2015 is N120 billion.