N13.5 million pay: Doyin Okupe dares Sagay to reveal Saraki, Dogara’s salaries

Doyin Okupe, former aide to immediate past President Goodluck
Jonathan, has dared Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman of the Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), to, within 24 hours,
carry out his threat to reveal details of the running cost of the
principal officers of the National Assembly.

Okupe, however, asked Sagay to also reveal the running cost of
President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ministers,
special advisers to the President, and other top government
functionaries including himself.

Sagay had declared that he would soon make public the monthly earnings
of the leadership of the National Assembly.

He said the N13 million allowances being received by senators is only
a tip of the iceberg as Nigerians will be shocked when he releases
details of the allowances of the principal officers.

Reacting however, Okupe challenged Sagay to give correct figures about
the running cost of all top members of the Buhari government, pointing
out that each day he failed to carry out his threat, his credibility
will continue to wane.

He said in a statement, "I find the threat by Professor Sagay on
allowances and running cost of the leadership of the National Assembly
very interesting. It will aid our fight for transparency in public
affairs. However, he should not be selective. For us to take him
seriously, he should include the details of the running costs of the
office of the President, Vice President, Ministers, Special Advisers,
heads of Government agencies, parastatals and even himself. Afterall,
all the salaries, allowances and running costs come from the same
public coffers.

"He should tell the world how much he is paid, how much he spends on
his numerous junketing abroad, his allowances, honoraria and others,
including the ones paid for by international donor agencies.

"For Prof. Sagay to say that the country would explode if he gives out
certain figures is inciting, particularly, at a volatile and tensed
period as we have now in the country. I believe the President owes
this country a duty to call this man to order.

"It will also be interesting if Sagay can tell Nigerians what the
achievements of his committee are in the last 30 months that it has
been using government money. Or is the committee set up just for the
purpose of abusing and attacking the National Assembly?

"With the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) rating recently released
by Transparency International (TI), it does appear that Sagay's
committee has neither helped Nigeria nor the President who set up the
committee and funded it with tax- payers' money. Mr. Sagay should sit
down with members of his committee to work seriously in developing
position papers and policies that will actually help the
anti-corruption war and make it more effective. This will by far be a
much more dignified job than rabble-rousing and witch-hunting of
institutions and personalities in the country."