On The Jumbo Pay For The Lawmakers In The Midst Of Penury

The leadership and members of the aboved name organisation condemned intoto the jumbo pay giving to few individuals who are legislators in the midst of abject penury of the masses. The non payment of local Government workers salaries by the Council bosses owing to the fact that the local governments have been strangulated financially by the Governor.

The disbandment of Edo Youth Employment scheme (YES) programme by the Governor despite the promise of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Party to provide million of jobs for the teeming unemployed youths who are roaming the streets like destitues and loafers, one expected the Comrade Governor to consolidate on the employment strategies of the president by providing more jobs not to send more than 10,000 workers back to the streets hereby increasing the level of crime in the State.

The continuous strike of the Judiciary workers which led to the clossure of courts since January this year because Almighty Adams Oshiomhole refused to obey the Federal High Court judgement that approved financial autonomy for the Judiciary which is the last hope of a common man.

The masses are in perilous time in Nigeria. A time of great tribulation, destitution. The destinies of our children and children yet unborn are in jeopardy because our rulers have decided to hardened their hearts like Pharoah Ramses.

We hope for transmogrification of the status quo ante bellum that was why we supported and voted for change on the 28th of March, 2015.

The world is closely watching and anxious to see the redemption of Nigeria from the precarious state of quagmire and rise again like the Biblical dry bone to its true position as the giant of Africa not corruption.

The open fleecing of our commonwealth by members of the National assembly cannot and will not continue. In the words of late sage Fela Anikulapo Kuti, “few people go dey part with big money and the rest dey hungry.”

Nigeria has got multitude of deprivation; high infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, malnutrition, inadequate health care and transportation and lack of electricity, high crime rates, high number of young people not in education, employment or in training.

Democracy requires moral probity on the part of our politicians, hence democracy and corruption are incompatible.

According to Professor Itse Sagay, the Nigerian lawmakers at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly are the highest paid legislators in the world. A senator in Nigeria earns 240 million naira (about 1.7 million US dollars) in salaries and allowances and a member of the House of Representatives earns 204 million naira (about 1.45million US dollars) per annum. while Barrack Obama earns 400,000 dollars.

While the talakawa are gnashing their teeth because of the rebelion of the stomach, our legislators receive Basic Salary, Hardship Allowance, Constituency Allowance, Furniture Allowance, Newspaper Allowance, Wardrobe Allowance, Recess Allowance, Accommodation, Utilities, Domestic Staff, Entertainment, Personal Assistance, Vehicle Maintenance Allowance, Leave Allowance, Motor Vehicle Allowance and other which runs into billions of tax payers monies. What a criminal offence against humanity. Where do we go from here?

The hottest place in hell are reserve for those whom in the period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. To this effect, we demand as follows"

1.That the legislators should be place on minimum wage like the civil servants as politics is not to enrich oneself at the detriment of the people but to serve them as the masters.

2. That wardrobe allowances should be made available for the poor and almajiris on the street who are unkempt.They are the right people who need clothes and shoes not the comprador bourgeosie who are just making laws for their pockets.

3. That Prebendalism should be jetttisoned and that Every kobo that is budgeted for or spent by members of the National assembly must be subjected to federal approval and review and declared openly to the public for scrunity which is the change we voted.

4. That suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens inline with Section 14 (2) (d ) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

5. That Comrade Adams Aliu Eric Oshiomhole should consolidate on the electoral promise of President Muhamadu Buhari of providing million of jobs for the people by reconsidering his unilateral and anti people decision of sending over 10,000 youths back to the streets by calling them back to work as many of them are the bread winners of their families inline with Section 17 (3) (a) which says that The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that "all citizens, without discrimination on any group whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment.

6. That the Comrade Governor as a former labour leader who had previously led protest against government and also a conspicuous product of the Rule Of law to obey the federal high court judgement by approving Financial autonomy for the Judiciary so that they can go back to work and also pay the JUSUN workers outstanding salaries.

7.That the salaries of local government workers should be paid without much ado and that the Edo state House of assembly should visit the issue of local government autonomy with a view to approving it so that the salaries of local government workers should be paid as and when due.

one for all, all for one. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta.

Marxist Kola
Speaker Festus Igun
Director of media and publicity.