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8th Assembly: Saraki, Ekweremadu, Others Failed To Retire N73.5bn Running Cost
– Former Senate President, Bukola Sarak, was said to have received the highest amount in running cost
– The estimate of the running cost is to the tune of N2,092,038,411.36 in four years
– Ike Ekweremadu was said to have received N1, 534,862,352 within the same period
Investigation by Daily Trust has claimed that senators who served in the immediate past National Assembly received over N73 billion in four years as running cost for their offices without effectively retiring the expenditure.
The reports further stated that amount was part of the N150 billion approved by the 8th National Assembly for senators and members of the House of Representatives as running cost.
The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) does not have provision for running cost for members of the National Assembly.
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Although sections 1709, 1783 and 1796 of the Financial Regulations provide that no further advance would be given unless retirement on previous ones are made, it’s learnt that up to the end of the 8th Senate, the lawmakers did not render account of how they spent the money they received as running cost.
It was found that releases for running cost, which were requested through memos addressed to the Senate president, were made to the senators on monthly basis through vouchers.
Investigations revealed that then Senate President Bukola Saraki received the highest amount in running cost to the tune of N2,092,038,411.36 in four years.
A breakdown indicated that he got a monthly payment of N43,584,133.57 which translated to N523,009,602.84 annually as running cost.
He was closely followed by his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, who received N1, 534,862,352 within the same period.
He received a monthly running cost of N31, 976, 299 which amounted to N383,715, 588 per annum.
Also, the office of then Senate Leader which was initially occupied by Mohammed Ali Ndume, received N1,103,838,402.72 as running cost within the same period.
The annual advances for the office stood at N275,959, 600.68 based on a monthly sum of N22,996, 633.39 as running cost.
The then Minority Leader, Philip Tanimu Aduda and Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, received N798,969,443.52 each in four years as running cost.
Each of them got N16, 645,196.74 monthly and N199,742,360.88 annually within the period in review.
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Investigations further showed that the remaining five principal officers during the last Senate – deputy Senate leader, deputy chief whip, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy minority whip – received N14,717,858.17 monthly each as office running cost which cumulatively amounted to N3,532,265,960.80 in four years.
The remaining 99 senators received N13,408,630.7 monthly, amounting to N160, 903,565.40 each. The total sum received by all the 99 senators in four years as running cost stood at N643,614,273.60.
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