Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara addressed criticisms regarding the salaries of federal legislators, asserting that their pay is not as extravagant as often portrayed. Speaking at the ‘Legislative Open Week’ organized by the House of Representatives, Dogara clarified misconceptions about lawmakers' earnings and emphasized the financial pressures they face from constituents.
Dogara, who served as Speaker from 2015 to 2019, disclosed that his monthly salary was less than N400,000, while his monthly impress as a presiding officer was N25 million. He noted that even this amount was often insufficient to meet the demands of his constituents.
"While I was Speaker, my salary was less than N400,000. I don’t know if it has been increased now. My total impress was 25 million naira, and I told my accountant to open a separate account for the impress. I never took any money out of that account; everything was used to cater for the needs of constituents," Dogara said.
He urged Nigerians to limit financial demands on lawmakers, highlighting the public's misconception about their earnings, which he said has negatively impacted their image. Dogara lamented that this perception has led to lawmakers being labeled as thieves in public forums.
Dogara acknowledged that the presidential system is expensive but argued that this does not translate to lawmakers receiving large salaries. He stressed the importance of transparency and urged the National Assembly to open its finances to dispel misconceptions.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former House of Representatives Speaker Bello Masari, who were also present at the event, called for grassroots engagement and cooperation among government organs. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas presented his scorecard at the ceremony.
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Dogara emphasized the need for legislators to engage with their constituents to end speculation about their earnings. "It is not always good enough to talk to the people. What is important is to speak with the people, create a forum for them as an opportunity to talk with them so they can express themselves and not to speak for them or to them," he said.
He concluded by urging lawmakers not to be bullied into abandoning the current democratic order, stressing that open dialogue and transparency are essential to maintaining public trust in the legislative process.
