Honorable Leke Abejide, the lawmaker representing Yagba East/West/Mopamuro federal constituency at the House of Representatives, says he earns a paltry sum of about N697,000 as a federal lawmaker.
Abejide, who spoke on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV live program, monitored by our correspondent, on Thursday, backed his claim with an alleged screenshot of his monthly salary.
He, however, did not provide evidence for allowances and constituency projects.
Abejide debunked the claims that Nigerian lawmakers are one of the highest paid parliamentarians in the world despite widespread poverty among the general population.
He said being a lawmaker was not lucrative as his constituents expect him to provide for their needs, no matter how trivial, adding that failure to meet them will breed hatred from the people.
“The allowances you talk about—I have staff, then people in the constituency are also there waiting for me. In a month, I don’t think I have up to N1.5 million. And I have family to take care of,” he said.
“So if you are coming to this system and you are someone who has been working on your own and doing business, you will not like to continue. Because the demand that is coming from your constituency in a month is in the range of N30 to N40 million.
“Someone whose children wants to go to school, to hospital, somebody who wants to do marriage, it is only you they will be focusing on. They can’t get to the Governor; you are the closest person to them. And if you don’t do for them, then you have not done anything. So that’s the danger in this assembly.
“If you are not a man of means and you come to this seat, in one year people will be stoning you.
“The only difference is constituency project. Mine is N113 million a year. And out of it, government will take 18.5 percent.”
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