Calculate The Cost Of This Tattered Children's Clothes And Nigerian Lawmakers' N506,600 Wardrobe Allowance

Source: Titilope Adeuja/Nigeriafilms.com

Nigerians are still in shock after the news of the jumbo pay budgeted for law makers wardrobe allowance made its way to mainstream media, expressing reactions to the bogus amount.

The actual amount of money which has changed over the few weeks was reported to be in the region of millions of Naira for law makers who have enjoy the larger portion of the 'national cake' but the masses are having none of that.

The jumbo pay is coming as at the time the Osun State is crying help over about seven months of unpaid salary of her workers. The state has been under the scope after Senator Ben Murry Bruce promised to donate his allocations to the unpaid workers and widows.

Let's do a little mathematical projection of the monies that would be budgeted with the mere 'N506,600 per legislator per annum' wardrobe allowance. The Senatorial total is 109 while the House of Representatives have 360 members totalling 469 law makers. Summation of the law makers and the allowance go up to the tune of a whooping N237595400.

If the law makers will be carting home that amount on allowances alone, why the hassles in paying up the N18,000 minimum wage at all the state levels?

You can calculate the following given that the basic salary (BS) of a senator is N2,026,400 and House of representative member is N1,985,212:50 in 2013: Newspaper Allowance: 50 percent of BS, Wardrobe Allowance: 25 percent, Recess Allowance: 10 percent, Accommodation: 200 percent, Utilities: 30 percent, Domestic Staff: 35 percent, Entertainment: 30 percent, Personal Assistance: 25 percent, Vehicle Maintenance Allowance: 75 percent, Leave Allowance: 10 percent, Severance Gratuity: 300 percent, Motor Vehicle Allowance: 400 percent of BS.

This picture of these little kids who are dressed in tattered clothes are not visible to the Nigerian law makers? These law makers are known to be spotted in expensive clothes, wear expensive accessories (at least, Mrs Buhari was said to be wearing a N10 million watch at the inaugural ceremony) but do they think of the future of kids like these?

The president some days ago was reported to have said that his administration met empty treasury on resumption of office and trust the Nigerian governance scenario, the trading of reactions will never cease. One of the significant allowance that caught the eye is the Newspaper allowance that was included in the budget, would the tax payers pay for the newspaper the law makers read again?

Kids like these really do need more than just good clothes because as the the popular saying goes, 'Children are the leaders of tomorrow' but many fear for the lives of these leaders who might just be put on the back row in the quest for bumper wardrobe allowance of the law makers.

Nigeria needs to wake up from the slumber which she has been plunged into in the past. All party affiliations must be set aside for the Giant of Africa to truly take her place on the throne.