New York, USA – Beroro Efekoro, a Nigerian-born legislator representing Albany County in the 7th District of New York, has criticized the salaries and allowances of members of Nigeria’s National Assembly, calling them “outrageous.”
In a statement issued in New York on Thursday, Efekoro responded to the ongoing controversy regarding the compensation of Nigerian lawmakers. The debate was reignited following reports that some House of Representatives members had fixed their own salaries, a claim made during a recent visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Senate has since denied allegations that National Assembly members determine their own pay and receive exorbitant salaries. According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, each Senator is reported to collect a monthly salary and allowances totaling approximately N1.063 million.
Efekoro, however, dismissed the Commission’s explanation as a formality. He stated, “The one who made the allegations was a former senator and knows how much he was receiving. Even the commission, the person who made the press statement, knows that the breakdown you have provided is what is on paper for the sake of formality.”
He urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration in addressing the nation’s challenges and warned Senate President Godswill Akpabio against intimidating senators who seek to hold the president accountable.
Efekoro expressed continued faith in President Tinubu’s administration but stressed that the National Assembly should not act merely as a rubber stamp. He called on Nigerians to give the administration more time to resolve the economic issues inherited from the Buhari administration.
The US legislator also emphasized the need for transparency, urging the administration to disclose savings from subsidy removal and detail how these funds are being utilized. He warned that the government must articulate its economic plans clearly to avoid potential unrest.
