Shehu Sani: It may be painful that I revealed what senators earn

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says it may be painful that he revealed what senators earn.

In March, Sani stirred a controversy when he disclosed that members of the upper legislative chamber get monthly N13.5m as running cost aside over 700,000 consolidated salaries and other allowances.

Some Nigerians had accused the lawmakers of exploiting the country.

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, commended Sani and said his revelation confirmed that Nigerians legislators were the highest paid in the world.

But speaking on Road Map 2019, a Channels Television programme, Sani said his disclosure closed the chapter of people demanding the income of federal lawmakers.

He also asked Nigerians to demand the running cost of governors and the president.

‘There should be no grey areas in public office; and now that Nigerians know what the members of the assembly are earning, they should also know the running cost of our ministers; what is the running cost of our governors?” he said.

“What is the running cost of head of government parastatals? What is the running cost of presidential advisers, aides and the men around the government? And what is the running cost of the president and vice president?

”So, it may be unpalatable or painful that I revealed what we are being given every month but it has healed and brought a close chapter to the fact that people don’t know what we are actually earning. Now we know.

”If you are doing some good to your people, they know very well that it is not an act of charity, not philanthropy; that you are giving them what rightly belongs to them.”