No Xmas Pay For NASS Members, Staff

• N5bn Released For Nov Salaries
AS it is for other federal workers and hundreds of thousands of state government workers, so is it for senators and members of the House of Representatives and at least 5,000 staff. Except a miracle happens, they will not get their December salaries for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Not less than N5bn was released last Thursday to pay the salaries and allowances of staff and lawmakers for the month of November. A chunk of the money went to the lawmakers who are now paid monthly instead of quarterly. This is to meet allowances needed for running their offices and constituencies.

Senate spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, yesterday, did not want to be drawn into the specifics of what was paid to lawmakers and staff, but he confirmed that November pay had been made.

On the December salaries, he said: “I am sure, they are making efforts. At least, there was a promise. You guys (journalists) reported that government is promising to try and make payments. Christmas is next week (this week). They still have time. Let us give them the benefit of Monday, Tuesday…and see. Sometimes, it does happen. They make efforts. It may even be the banks…payments will always come in batches…different people get salaries on different days. They are making frantic efforts. My chairman (Senate Services Committee) is making efforts. I haven’t spoken to him to know where we are because I have been traveling.”