A Senator-elect from Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has vowed to champion a campaign for salary cut for federal lawmakers when the new National Assembly opens in June.
Mr. Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, joined many Nigerians to demand a reduction in the salaries of Senator and members of the House of Representatives, saying he will personally champion the cause.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Melaye said lawmakers must sacrifice their comfort and allow a pay cut, to yield money that could be used for developmental projects and proper oversight role.
Mr. Melaye was reacting to the announcement by the Kogi State government this week, of a 40 per cent pay-cut in the salaries of public and civil servants in the state.
He blamed the Kogi State salary slash on bad governance.
Mr. Melaye said workers in Kogi for years received a percentage of their salaries, and said the incoming All Progressives Congress, APC, government will address such abuse.
“The APC has a guideline that controls every governor of every state and I can assure you that the issue of revenue generation will be taken care of by the party,” he said.
Hassan Omale, member-elect represent Ankpa, Omala, Olamaboro federal constituency in Kogi State, also said workers in the state had not been collecting complete salaries for a long time.
“In the Local governments, since the last three years they have not received their complete salaries, they have been suffering there,” he said.
Other Kogi lawmakers blamed the pay cut on reduction in monthly allocation to the state.
The governor, Idris Wada, had on Wednesday announced a 40 per cent pay-cut in the salaries of public and civil servants in the state as a result of dwindling revenue.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Jacob Edi, the governor said the state got N2.5 billion as allocation for April, while its monthly wage bill for the month was N3.2 billion.