Senators Are Entitled To ‘Jumbo Pay’ – Sen. Adeyeye

Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Spokesperson of the Senate, has attempted to justify the pay packages received by members of the Senate.

According to Channels TV, the lawmaker in his bid to break down the ‘jumbo pay’ paid to Senators insisted that Senators are entitled to running costs as well, apart from the salary.

He further noted that Senators' allowances are not jumbo pay, adding that Nigerians need more enlightenment about the controversial matter.

The senator who disclosed this in Ado, the Ekiti state capital, noted that public officers of lower status get adequate running costs for their duties and deserve more for the responsibilities on their shoulders.

“Ordinary clerks have running cost in any organisation, why should people believe senators are not entitled to running costs and they attribute that as their salaries, calling it Jumbo pay.

“Senators are entitled to running costs as well, apart from the salary. It is this running cost that people call jumbo pay which is not.

“There are over three thousand staff working for the National Assembly, are they not going to be paid? There’s a National Assembly Service Commission fully populated… (But) You just look at a senator and you say they are the ones sharing Nigeria’s money, No.

“People don’t appreciate the role of the legislator… that is why no matter how much you pay the legislature, they think it is unjustified.

“They think they don’t earn it which is not the case. But I know that with time, when we begin to engage the Nigerian public and bring them to full Knowledge of the roles of the legislature they will begin to see why the legislators should be given the enablement to perform their roles.”