ILLICIT EARNINGS OF LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNORS MUST BE STOPPED TO PAY N30, 000 MINIMUM WAGE!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

(Looking at Nigeria's Political System from a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 7. NO 274. 11th November, 2018.] “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

ILLICIT EARNINGS OF LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNORS MUST BE STOPPED TO PAY N30, 000 MINIMUM WAGE!

That the Nigerian Legislators are the richest politicians globally is an understatement! A Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria earns far more than the President of the United States of America! It is on record that at least FIVE PER CENT (5%), of every national annual budget goes for salaries, working/wardrobe/housing/vehicle/annual leave/domestic/ retirement benefits allowances and the few Civil Service Staff of those very selfish opportunists in government!

In the years before 29th May, 2015, when the most unexpected change of guards occurred, the National Assembly (NASS), legislators boasted of an annual deductions of N150 billion naira, outside of allegations of  ridiculous, outrageous and illegitimate, constituency allowances/budget paddings, from which they have been unable to extricate themselves to date! Rowdy sessions over very trivial issues were always the order of the day at most plenary especially in the 8th Assembly, because the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had blocked all forms of malfeasance!

These desperate set of politicians have developed very thick skin to public outcry and all forms of accusations in respect of financial impropriety committed through their constitutional oversight functions and there seemed to be no reprieve in spite of the WAR AGAINST ALL MANNER OF CORRUPTION by the Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress (APC), Administration! At one time, the late Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. Hamman Tukur, published the constitutionally approved emoluments of the law makers which was in line with the CIVIL SERVICE EMOLUMENTS, but government had no political will to go for their jugular!

Secondly, a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Financial Matters, Jibril Abdulmumini, exposed the internal mechanisms of Budget Padding, among legislators but he was maligned castigated and eventually suspended for ONE LEGISLATIVE YEAR by YAKUBU DOGARA and his cohorts for impetuosity!
He challenged the matter in court and won the suit against his illegal suspension with costs and has been paid all of his salaries and allowances for that period in spite of the desperation of law makers to SILENCE THE TRUTH!

Must these present crop of legislators constitute themselves into a Secret Cult, whose condemnable deeds must remain secret especially in a new democratic dispensation that has vowed to destroy corruption in all forms and  ramifications, no matter whose ox is gored?

Thirdly, sometime in 2017, a serving Senator, Shehu Sanni, representing Kaduna State Central District, confessed to Nigerians and by extension to the whole universe that each lawmaker's MONTHLY WORKING ALLOWANCE alone, was N13.5 MILLION, outside of the earlier mentioned inconsiderate/humongous and unconstitutional allowances! How and why did they arrive at that figure and who is their paymaster? Is there an arm of the Ministry of Finance in the National Assembly?
In spite of an Abuja High Court judgement of 2015 which compelled the NASS Clerk to release to The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the monthly/annual take-home payments of salaries, allowances and other emoluments of the law makers, the Clerk did not only disobey, he appealed the order and the outcome is yet to be made public!

NINETY-FIVE PER CENT OF STATES CANNOT PAY N30.000?
The Ebonyi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor David Umahi, on Wednesday, 7th November, 2018, made a sweeping statement on behalf of Nigerian Governors in respect of the recommended minimum wage of N30, 000.
According to a report credited to him, the opposition State Governor said: "The Federal Government collects 52% of the revenue from the Federation Account and when I tried to put the N30.000 figure to Local Government Areas (LGA), it means they will borrow N1 billion to add to their allocation in paying salaries." He also added that the proposed amount would cause inflation and would not solve civil servants basic needs adding that “leaders and labour are putting water in a basket and expecting the N30, 000, to hold it".
Umahi's argument also extended to the fact that a lot of money being paid as Petroleum Subsidy could be saved by the Federal Government but he failed to advocate for increase in States INTERNALLY GENERATED REVENUE (IGR), through the abundant God-given solid mineral, agricultural, entertainment, tourism, film industries/information/communication technology resources etc, instead of the monthly journeys to ABUJA for "Feeding Bottle" allowances! Governor Umahi may have succeeded in collecting USD $150 million dollars from the African Development Bank (ADB), to embark on the construction of a RING ROAD instead of building the State's IGR! Who will pay the loan when he departs office; the same Workforce which do not deserve N30, 000, per month?
Governor Umahi has displayed lack of leadership qualities through his unguarded statement and should just resign honourably! If all the FIVE South-East Geo-Political States (among the 95%), are not economically/financially viable to cater for their citizens and by extension - their WORKERS - would it make COMMONSENSE TO AGITATE FOR AN ADDITIONAL STATE FOR THE ZONE? How did Umahi become Chairman of the South East Governors Forum "self"? One-eyed man in the community of the blind?

NON-PAYMENT OF WORKERS SALARIES BEFORE 29TH MAY, 2015!
When President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, he was inundated with large scale complaints of non-payment of arrears of salaries and pension allowances (some, for up to 12 months), by not less than 23 out of 36 States of the federation and out the very scarce resources left by the failed administration, he released tranches of BAIL-OUT FUNDS (twice), to all the affected States to succour the workers plight but it was alleged that some governors diverted the said funds to their personal projects other than the workers emoluments!

The PARIS CLUB REFUND also came the way of the States as another reprieve but till date many States have not met their financial obligations of the monthly pittance of N18,000 to the workers and Governor Umahi, being in the  bandwagon could speak with such authority! (Please read our 189th Edition of 29th March, 2017, titled: "Governors Who Fail To Offset Outstanding Workers Salaries/Pensions With The Paris Club Refund Must Be Impeached", for greater details of what happened before and after 29th May, 2015).

GOVERNORS FINANCIAL PACKAGE!
Just like the LEGISLATORS, Governors salaries and allowances are shrouded in secrecy - especially, the SECURITY VOTE BULK PAYMENT - which expenditure was never accounted for by the recipients!
Grape Vine has it on record that the least paid governor received a whooping sum of N3 BILLION from the national coffers and retirement remunerations from their States as follows:
(1) Two magnificent fully-furnished mansions - one in the State Capital and the other in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
(2) Annual severance salary of between N250-370 million naira for life.
(3) Full-paid overseas annual vacation for them and members of their families for life!
(4) Two state-of-art-vehicles - a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), and a Saloon car. (5) Numerous house servant and assistants who must also be remunerated by their STATES though these greedy so-called leaders never missed any entitlements while in office - whether there was INFLATION OR RECESSION!

SIGNING INTO LAW OF THE PEACE CORPS OF NIGERIA BILL AND ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE POLICE MUST BE PRIOTIZED BY PRESIDENT BUHARI NOW!
In spite of the perennial state of insecurity across the nation, due to the shortage of manpower in the nation's Security architecture, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Government under the watch of retired General Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, still finds it difficult to believe that current security challenges would fizzle out through an urgent political will of the President's signature on the Peace Corps of Nigeria Bill and also the implementation of the Governor El Rufai's Committee On Restructuring of Nigeria, which suggested among other crucial issues: Resource Control and State Police!

WITHOUT ADEQUATE SECURITY (THROUGH PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING), NIGERIA'S LOFTY DREAM OF ATTAINING GLOBAL RANKING AMONG 20 ECONOMICALLY-VIABLE COUNTRIES BY THE YEAR 2020, WILL REMAIN AN ILLUSION! President Buhari should fast-track action on these very CRITICAL AND STRATEGIC ISSUES OF SECURITY in order to forestall the plans of his detractors, who are bent on destroying our nascent democracy and threatened economy!

LET'S NAIL THE NIGERIAN WORKERS ENEMIES TOGETHER AT THE 2019 ELECTIONS!
Nigerian Citizens and Workers can be rest assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would forward to the National Assembly the recommended N30,000 national monthly minimum wage for its backing by the law, because the all-round success of his government's Social Intervention Programmes (SIPs), speak glowingly for him, to put all those who opposed the laudable exercise to absolute shame! THIS STIPEND WILL NEITHER CAUSE INFLATION NOR RECESSION AS UMAHI WANTS THE WORLD TO BELIEVE! OUR ECONOMY IS FLUID BECAUSE THE SPECIAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMME IS WORKING!! There is also a move to stop all illegal earnings by legislators/governors and a total stoppage to GOVERNMENT WASTAGES AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, to create surplus funds to meet the workers demands without hassles!

Let us get our PVCs in place to nail the coffins of the enemies of Nigerian workers to the graves in the up-coming 2019 General Elections by sending them back to the labour market! "Once beaten, twice shy!" NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER!

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066. g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.