No jumbo pay for federal lawmakers — Lawan

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday said there was no jumbo package for National Assembly members.

Lawan stated this when members of the Senators’ Forum paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

The Senate President revealed that his monthly salary as a lawmaker and that of his colleagues remained N750,000 monthly.

He said, “I never  believed  that there is anything called jumbo payment to the National Assembly members.

“The National Assembly members both in the Senate and the House of Representatives receive just their salaries and I receive N750,000 as  my  salary.”

He pledged that activities of the National  Assembly  would  be  open to the general public, particularly in the area of funding

Lawan added that the 9th Senate would be a by-partisan senate which would cater to the unity  and progress of the nation.

He said,  “Nigerians expect us to be  patriotic  and we belong  to various political parties, but  once we are here Nigeria is our constituency.’’

“This senate is determined to ensure that, for example, we pass  the  budget in three months.

“All we require is for the executive to provide the appropriation bill in good time, may be at the end of September or early week of September.

“The Chairman of the forum, Sen. Khariat Gwadabe  said   the meeting was a unique opportunity for them to interface with the  president of the senate.