We’re not pensionable people – Senator Neda tells Nigerians
By Elvis Omoregie, Benin
The Senator Representing Edo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly Senator Neda Imasuen, yesterday said the job of a senator are not pensionable unlike other services.
He said this during a media chat with journalists in Benin City, while responding to questions on the issue of senators not making enough sacrifice for the country and jumbo pay received by the senators.
According to him, the national assembly are not to be blamed for the country’s problems rather the system that favours certain services.
He said the national assembly members are like what he considers as the coastal boys that whenever things tend to go wrong in the country, the focus is usually on them.
“For me the senate or the national assembly as a whole has become what I consider as a coastal boys, in the sense that when things tend to go wrong in the country, the focus is on them, the focus is on their pay and allowances, I understand all that.
“But I keep saying that is not where the problem is. A senator is entitled to only one car for which he takes part of it from his salary like a car loan and it is not for free but a Permanent Secretary, you know how many he is entitled to. He is entitled to more than two cars, the ministry fuels his car but the national assembly doesn’t fuel anybody’s car.
“You have the mills that’s also under the budget and you have all the staff of the national assembly itself and when you look at budget Nigerians just tend to divide it by how many senators are there and how many Rep members are there and say oh! this is what they gets. That’s not so, and apart from that, if you look at this phone today the demands that I get on daily basis is astronomical.
“When somebody is sick, is the senators they call and they don’t call the governor, they don’t call the commissioner for health, they don’t even call their local government chairman. It is the senator the senator they call.
” Is it the area of school fees? Now, everybody is asking me to pay school fees. Someone can’t pay his rent, it is the senator. Somebody will tell you he has not eaten for the past few days please just send me something is the senator is not funny at all.
“You know, until you get there yourself those of us who saw it from outside until we got in before we began to see the headache that’s there.
“So, it is not as easy but yes, if you look at our salaries, remember that, we are not pensionable you do four years or eight years you are gone that’s the end of the story there’s nothing that comes to you every month”, Imasuen said.
