Bureaucracy Behind Delay In Our 50% Salary Slash – Reps

The House of Representatives has said the six-month delay in implementing its 50 per cent salary slash was due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions.

The House Spokesperson, Hon. Akin Rotimi, clarified this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said: “It has come to our notice that some media outlets are reporting claims of discrepancies in the salaries of Members of the House of Representatives, suggesting that we received 100% of our July salaries, amounting to N936,979, despite pledging to donate 50% of N600,000 for six months to efforts to alleviate the conditions of our constituents.

“We wish to clarify the following: The actual monthly salary for Honourable Members is N600,000 after deductions for advances such as housing, which are paid at the commencement of the tenure.

“The Honourable Member who displayed his salary on a TV programme is an exceptional case, as he assumed office through a court decision many months after the onboarding process was concluded.

“The House of Representatives remains committed to the resolution passed on July 18, 2024, which mandates a 50 per cent reduction in the salaries of Honourable Members for six months.

“We acknowledge and regret that the bureaucracy did not implement this resolution 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, 2024.

“This delay in implementation was thus due to necessary administrative procedures and coordination with financial institutions.

“Instructions for adjusting salaries have since been issued and will be enforced moving forward to ensure our pledge is fully realised.”