Yakubu Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has disclosed that he received a monthly allowance of N25 million during his tenure as a presiding officer. Speaking at the Open Week of the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday, Dogara also revealed that his monthly salary as Speaker was N400,000.
Dogara addressed the ongoing debate regarding the earnings of National Assembly members, highlighting that the perception of substantial salaries and allowances has contributed to a negative image of the legislature. He pointed out that these allowances often do not cover expenses for more than three days.
“While I was Speaker, my salary was less than N400,000. I don’t know if it has been increased now. My total imprest was N25 million, and I instructed my accountant to open a separate account for the imprest. I never once took any money out of that account. Everything that came into that account was used to cater to the needs of constituents,” Dogara explained.
He further shared that his accountant frequently complained about the high demand on the account, to which Dogara responded, “If the money there is finished, borrow; when money comes, you return it to where you had taken money from.”
Dogara emphasized that the public should give legislators some breathing space and understand that the narrative about their pay is often exaggerated. He suggested that if democracy is deemed too expensive, political scientists should develop a more cost-effective local model.
Dogara also advocated for the National Assembly to make its finances transparent to dispel the notion that legislators receive exorbitant amounts of money monthly.
