Daily Advent Nigeria

SERAP releases guidelines on how to sue Federal Lawmakers over billions of Naira welcome package (See details)

SERAP releases guidelines on how to sue Federal Lawmakers over billions of Naira welcome package (See details)

The Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP) has released guidelines on how Nigerians can sign a petition aimed at stopping the proposed billions of Naira as welcome package for federal lawmakers.

A few days ago, the internet went agog when it was revealed that 469 federal lawmakers would get N4.68bn as welcome package immediately after their inauguration in June.

According to The Punch, the money is to help the lawmakers sort out accommodation and furniture issues.

According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, each member of the House of Representatives on resumption is entitled to N9,926,062, while each senator is entitled to a combined furniture and accommodation allowance of N10,132,000 on assumption of office.

The House of Representatives is made up of 360 members while the Upper Legislative Chamber (The Senate) is made of 109 members.

A few minutes after the report, SERAP vowed to challenge remuneration in the court, describing it as illicit.

In a tweet, SERAP called on Nigerians who are unhappy over the welcome package to join the suit against the National Assembly.

“Anyone interested in joining the suit on the N4.68bn ‘welcome package’ received by 469 members of 9th @nassnigeria should please send their full names and state: “I hereby confirm my interest to join the suit to challenge the legality of the N4.68bn ‘welcome package’.”

At the time of compiling this report, the petition has garnered close to 2,000 signatures of Nigerians.

Nigerians, including non-governmental organisation, indicated their readiness to join the Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project in its suit against the planned move by the National Assembly to spend N4.68 billion ‘welcome package’ on newly elected lawmakers.

It was reported that the National Assembly planned to spend the money on four hundred and sixty-nine lawmakers who were elected on the platform of various political parties after their inauguration in June.

In condemning the move, SERAP said it was illegal for the lawmakers to receive N4.6 billion and vowed to sue the members of the National Assembly to stop the illicit enrichment.

The Rights organisation then asked Nigerians interested in going to court with SERAP to challenge the illegality to sign up.

“We’ll keep saying this: It’s illegal for 469 members of the 9th @nassnigeriato receive N4.68bn as ‘welcome package’.  469 members can’t ‘buy at their own sales.’

“We’ll sue to stop this illicit enrichment from ever happening again, and ensure recovery of public funds.

“Anyone interested in joining the suit on the N4.68bn ‘welcome package’ received by 469 members of 9th @nassnigeria should please send their full names and state: “I hereby confirm my interest to join the suit to challenge the legality of the N4.68bn ‘welcome package’” a report on SERAP blog says.

The organisations are; EIE Nigeria, PWAN Nigeria, Freedom of Information Counsel Nigeria and Upright Nigeria.

A political party, KOWA, also said it would join in the suit.

Some Nigerians who agreed to partner SERAP in the fight against the proposed welcome package tweeted their readiness in the following posts.

At the time of this report, the petition is receiving more signatures, one Twitter user Queen Somto‏ simply says, “The lawmakers are the problems of this country, I suspected the Ramadan Dinner between @nassnigeria and @MBuhari, I know that it can only be for their selfish interest.”