The Nigeria Labour Congress has advised members of the National Assembly to reduce their salaries and allowances in line with the present economic reality in the country.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, gave the advice on Monday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Wabba said a situation where a worker receives N18,000 as minimum wage and a senator or member of the House of Representatives get N46,000 daily as newspapers allowance was unacceptable.
He said all public office holders must conform to the change being preached by President Muhammadu Buhari, as most Nigerians were desirous of change.
He said: “If you are collecting N46,000 as newspapers allowance daily and somebody is working almost every day but collecting N18,000 for 30 days, I think it is unacceptable.
“We want change in this country and everybody must conform to the change.
“The National Assembly must be ready to make sacrifices.”
The NLC president said that if the executive could sacrifice 50 per cent of its salary, the National Assembly should also toe the same path by making sacrifice for the country.
He said: “The executive, which is one arm of government, has made sacrifice of 50 per cent of its salary.
“The National Assembly should not be an exception.
“They should cut their jumbo pay.”
Wabba warned that if the legislators refused to see reason and slash their salaries and allowances, Nigerians would force it down their throat.
He said: “If they are not ready to do it through due process and slash their jumbo pay, then Nigerians will force them.
“We will approach them by force to do it.”
He said it was time Nigerians took their destiny in their hands by ensuring that the legislature toed the line of change and begin to work for their interest.
NAN recalled that efforts to reduce the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly on August 12 did not succeed as senators failed to agree on pay cut.
The National Assembly budget for 2015 is N120 billion.
NAN.
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