By EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & BEN AGANDE
ABUJA — Chairman of the House’s ad-hoc committee on media, Mr Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday explained that the House did not slash salaries of members but reduced the running cost.

Bamidele who made the disclosure at a media briefing, however, declined to comment on whether the reduction was calculated on the N27 million which was the initial running allowance for each member, or the N42 million to which it was increased before the expiration of the sixth Assembly.

The House, in another development, yesterday resolved to probe the composition of personnel, recruitment exercise by government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as the distribution of physical infrastructure and social amenities by the Federal Government in line with the Federal Character principle since the onset of democratic governance in 1999 to date.

Specifically explaining that the said downward review of members’ running costs was necessitated by the desire to hearken to the yearnings of Nigerians, the House spokesman said the said review had nothing to do with members’ salaries which he noted were fixed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.

He said: “It is our hope that this explanation would finally lay the issue (high cost of maintaining members) to rest because it is becoming a distraction.

“The same people who fixed the running costs have responded to the yearnings of the Nigerian people.”
The lawmaker noted that the onus of publishing what public officers earn also rested within the purview of the RMAFC.

The House’s decision to investigate the implementation of the Federal Character principle was a fallout of a motion sponsored by Ahmed Idris who lamented that the provision of sections 14(3,4) and 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution as they relate to federal character have been severally abused by MDAs.

Idris said the continuous abuse of the principle had led to “an uneven distribution of infrastructural development, real marginalisation, lopsidedness and imbalance in the composition of government  at most levels in the ministries and their respective agencies.
Members who spoke on the motion agreed that the issue was a problem that may soon threaten the corporate existence of Nigeria as the lopsidedness is rather on the high side.

The motion was seconded by Rep Seconte Davie representing Bonny Degema Federal Constituency in Rivers.

Rep Idris had pointed out that the lopsidedness is so alarming that one will be imagining whether there is a commission like the Federal Character commission as in some  Senatorial Districts could be as high as 70 percent that in Universal Basic Education Commission, a state has 34 employees while some other states just have between 2 to 3 persons.

Rep John Dyegh, representing Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency lamented that the last recruitment of the FRSC was rather too lopsided in Benue where a particular Senatorial had 45 people recruited the other 2 districts had 2 each same thing is applicable to the army.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha however pointed out that whatever the clamour should not lead to the disengagement of those in the Service rather is how to find a lasting solution to the problem of the lopsidedness, “we should know exactly the state of employment in the states,” he stated.

Rep Zakari Mohammed, representing Baraten/Kaima Federal constituency, pointed out that there are 250 ethnic nationalities in the country and the principle of fair play. Equity, justice should be our watch word in placing people as this lopsidedness will do no one npo good.”

“I sincerely hope that when the federal character committee is eventually constituted it would have men and women of proven integrity with a rich background of  fair mindedness.”

Pally Iriase representing Owan Federal Constituency said Sec 15 [1] simply states that the cardinal principles of this country rests on  unity, faith peace and progress “Nigeria is predicated on faith, if cannot get faith you cannot get unity which is germane.’

“Our people out there are watching us discussing our legislative agenda we are here to make the greatest number of people happy.”
Rep Rep Daniel Reyeniju representing Warri Federal Constituency said there is so much lopsidedness that his Itsekiri people have only five superior officers within the cadre of Assistant Police Commissioner and Suprintendent of Police.”