Saraki replies Obasanjo, promises to cut waste, fight corruption in NASS

SENATE President, Bukola Saraki has formally replied ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to the Na­tional Assembly on January 13, where-in he accused federal lawmakers of cor­ruption, greed, lawlessness and impunity.
In his January 29 reply, obtained by Premium Times, Saraki said the Eighth Na­tional Assembly, under his leadership is already taking steps to strengthen the coun­try’s democratic institutions and ensure prudent manage­ment of resources.
“This is to ensure that we plug all leakages and minimise waste across our expenditure systems,” the Senate president said in the two-page letter.
“Likewise, the Eigth Na­tional Assembly has made the issue of plugging leak­ages and cutting wastages in our public expenditure system a major priority that should not be toyed with. This may have happened in the past but, it will not hap­pen with us.”
The former president, had in his letter, addressed to Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, accused the law­makers of fixing and earn­ing salaries and allowances far above what the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) approved for them.
He also alleged that most of the 109 senators and 369 representatives were receiv­ing constituency allowances without maintaining con­stituency offices as the laws required of them.
He faulted the plans by the lawmakers to acquire new exotic cars for them­selves, saying, “Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensi­tive.”
He advised that “a pool of a few cars for each chamber will suffice for any Com­mittee Chairman or mem­bers for any specific duty.”