9th June, 2019
President of the Eighth Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has directed that the National Assembly Management should distribute his Severance Allowance to families of three victims of the insurgency in the North-East.
He also directed that children of late senators be also included on the list of beneficiaries.
He did not indicate how much this allowance is worth.
But according to the guideline by Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, as Senate President, Saraki is entitled to a severance package of N7,452,727 .
A non-returning senator is entitled to a severance allowance of N6,079,200. Deputy Senate President is entitled to N6,927,500,25. Non-returning Member of the House of Representatives is entitled to N5,955,637.
Saraki’s severance package may have been jacked up as the National Assembly in the 2019 budget made a provision of N23.678n as severance package for non-returning members.
According to a calculation by Punch, severance package for the non-returning members of the legislature should not cost the treasury more than N1.3billion.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that the Severance Allowance should be used to support the families of Leah Sharibu, who is being held by Boko Haram.
He said that part of the money should also be donated to the families of two humanitarian workers abducted and subsequently murdered by Boko Haram insurgents – Hussaini Ahmed Khoisan and Hauwa Liman.
Also to benefit from the money are children of late members of the Eight Senate who may require financial assistance in furtherance of their education as a Trust Fund is to be established by the management of the National Assembly for the purpose.
He stated that his decision to use the severance package to support the selected victims of the insurgency was based on the fact that their cases represented some of the most touching humanitarian issues debated at the plenary during the four-years of the Eighth Senate and on which his colleagues and himself made emotional and passionate speeches.
According to him, 20 per cent of the severance allowance is to be donated to the family of Leah Sharibu while 20 percent is also to be paid to the family of Hauwa Liman, the aid worker brutally murdered by Boko Haram after she was captured.
Another 20 percent is to be donated to the family of the second aid worker, Hussaini Ahmed Khoisan, also murdered in the same circumstance by Boko Haram.
The remaining 40 percent should be used by the National Assembly Management to set up a TRUST FUND that will assist children of deceased members of the Eighth Senate who are in financial need for their education.
“It is my hope that this TRUST FUND should grow with more contributions from my dear colleagues, present, past and future, who may be moved to put in additional money into it.
“The Clerk of the National Assembly will immediately get an official letter from me mandating him to act as stated above on the disbursement of my Severance Allowance”, Saraki added.