House of Rep Spokesperson Denies Salary Discrepancy Allegations

The spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Rotimi Akin, has dismissed reports alleging that lawmakers earn ₦900,000 instead of the ₦600,000, which is their actual monthly salary.

Akin made the clarification in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, stating that members of the House are still committed to the 50 percent deduction in their salaries for six months to reduce hardship in the country.

Akin explained that the delay in the implementation of the resolution passed on July 18, 2024, was due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions. He added that instructions for adjusting salaries had since been issued and would be enforced moving forward to ensure the pledge is fully realized.

He said, “The House of Representatives has been inundated by some media outlets reporting claims of discrepancies in the salaries of members, suggesting that we received 100 percent of our July salaries.

“The report claimed that our salary amounted to ₦936,979.

“We wish to clarify that the actual monthly salary for members is ₦600,000, after deductions for advances such as housing, which are paid at the commencement of the tenure.

“We acknowledge and regret that this resolution was not implemented by the bureaucracy as intended for July.

“Resolutions of the House are ratified when the votes and proceedings of plenary are adopted on the next legislative day. Consequently, the bureaucracy was only formally instructed on July 23.”

“There is nothing to investigate, as some media houses reported, as the House’s position on this matter had been provided to some journalists who had reached out for clarification.”

The Rep spokesman further stated that the member who displayed his salary on a television program was an exceptional case because he assumed office through a court decision many months after the onboarding process was concluded.