LDS) has warned that Nigeria's economy would not grow where up to 21
members in the National Assembly are collecting double salaries.
The Executive Director of the Center, Dr Otive Igbuzor, said this
during a two day High Level Multi-Stakeholders Strategic Retreat on
fiscal transparency of annual payments of salaries and pensions for
elected and public servants held in Uyo on Tuesday.
The Executive Director, who was represented by Mr Ernest Kemakolam,
Center LSD Board member, alleged that some political office holders in
the country are more interested in their salaries and overhead than
what they should give to the society.
He said the resources that would have been used for the development of
states and country were now being channelled to payment of pension and
salaries of those elected office holders who are still collecting
double emoluments.
He maintained that, "21 serving senators are currently receiving
salaries from their states as former governors and deputy governors.
"Funds that naturally should be channelled into infrastructural
development are now used to service the personal interest of political
leaders and appointees of government.
"The issue at stake today is a clear case of the former governors and
appointees of government placing their private or personal interests
over and above their entrusted public functions and unduly influencing
the level of benefits they receive," Igbuzor said.
Igbuzor said that the level of infrastructural deficit in the country
would have been reversed if the monies were channelled into real
sectors that drive growth and development such as education, health,
infrastructure and agriculture.
He commended the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for taking a bold
step in the face of the struggle for transparency and accountability,
by directing the Kwara government to stop his pension for the period
he would be serving as a Senator.
The Acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Mr Victor
Muruako, in his goodwill message urged state governments to emulate
the federal government by setting up fiscal responsibility commission
in their states to block loopholes in financial management of their
resources.
Muruako, who was represented by Mr Charles Abana, Head Legal,
Investigation and Enforcement in the Commission, urged states to
critically review the root causes of insolvency in some states with a
view to finding solutions.
He said that effective Fiscal Responsibility Law would engender
increased level of implementation of the Fiscal Sustainability Plan in
the states.
According to him, this would bring about desirable improvement in the
existing public financial management system.
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