A member of the House of Representatives, Chinedu Obika, has disclosed that a fellow lawmaker was unable to raise ₦700,000 to pay his daughter’s school fees two months ago.
Obika said he personally stepped in to help the colleague settle the bill, Peak Newspaper reports.
Obika, who represents the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made the disclosure while reacting to widespread claims that members of the National Assembly are excessively paid.
Speaking during an interview on KAA Truths, the lawmaker said the incident, which occurred about two months ago, demonstrated that not all lawmakers enjoy the level of personal wealth often attributed to them by the public.
“About two months ago, a colleague of mine could not pay ₦700,000 for his daughter’s school fees, and I was the one who helped him get that done; a member,” Obika said.
According to him, the experience contradicts the perception that lawmakers remain silent in the National Assembly because they are financially rewarded.
“If it’s about personal enrichment, that’s why members are not speaking. If you’re not getting anything, you’re not speaking.
“I have never seen that kind of thing in my life. In fact, one member fought over it. National Assembly members fight when good things go to them, not when they keep quiet. So outsiders think it’s when they keep quiet that something is wrong,” he added.
Obika, however, declined to reveal the identity of the lawmaker involved in the incident.
The federal lawmaker also maintained that all official salaries and allowances of National Assembly members are public information, urging Nigerians to verify specific claims instead of relying on speculation about lawmakers’ earnings.
“Every entitlement meant for a member is publicly available. If you haven’t found something specific, tell me, ‘Honourable, they said this is such-and-such amount,’ and I’ll respond to it directly,” he said.
