Obasanjo lashes out at members of the National Assembly calling them a group of unarmed robbers

FORMER president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has lashed out at the members of the National Assembly describing them as a bunch of unarmed robbers in response to their huge pay packets and bonuses which are among the highest in the world.

Members of Nigeria's senate and the House of Representatives enjoy some of the most remunerative packages of lawmakers anywhere on earth. Of late, this has led to calls for reviews as Nigeria is currently going through a recession and most of her 36 states owe salary and pension arrears.

However, the lawmakers have resisted all calls for them to cut their salaries and bonuses and only a few months ago, took delivery of new brand new Peugeot cars. Wading into the matter, Chief Obasanjo, who spoke at a recent book launch in Ibadan, said lecturers are currently on strike over unpaid wages and priority should be given to Nigerians like that ahead of legislators.

He also called on the federal government to respect the agreement it signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, saying that the administration put itself in a corner by entering into the agreement without full consultation. Chief Obasanjo condemned the lawmakers for being indifferent to the plight of ordinary Nigerians like the lecturers with their big bonuses.

Chief Obasanjo said: "When the university teachers go on strike, there is an agreement and when doctors go on strike, there will be a special agreement. When the university teachers see that the agreement reached with the doctors is different from theirs, they go on strike and this is bad for our economy.

“The way we are going about spending all our revenue to pay overheads, we will not develop and we will have ourselves to blame. Ninety per cent of revenue is used to pay overheads, allowances, salaries and not much is left for capital development, so in a situation like that, we have to rethink."

“It is even worse for the National Assembly, they will abuse me again but I will never stop talking about them as they are a bunch of unarmed robbers. They are one of the highest paid in the world where we have 75% of our people living in abject poverty, so the behaviour and character of the National Assembly should be condemned and roundly condemned.”

At the event, a former education minister of Oby Ezekwesili, called for positive attitudinal changes for national development. She said the book would serve as a tool for the country to examine the extent to which it had lost her values and culture.