Nigerians have been kept in the dark on the superfluous jumbo budget of the National Assembly which is intentional and malicious for senators to get as much as N1billion per annum and representative members N600 million, an allocation meant for 469 people.

This was the grievances expressed by a large number of youths, under the aegis of Every Nigerian Do Something (ENDS), at the front of the National Assembly Complex, yesterday, in Abuja.

During a chat with a News Express reporter who witnessed the protest, Dr Peregrinoh Brimah who led the protest, said: “We are fighting for true representation in the National Assembly. We have come to realise the fact that based on the salary and allowances scale the senators and representative members have been placed, they cannot represent us well. With this bogus pay, they only represented themselves.”

Brimah further stated: “Our belief in President Buhari should not be shattered as we know that it is not too small to slash down the amount to 10 per cent. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) must be scrapped and terminated. It was created by Babaginda and, so far, has been a co-conspirator agency helping to defraud Nigeria, in partnership with the Federal Government.”

Speaking also, Mr Dele Martin, said: “We are representing g the people today and to let the legislators know that we are angry and tired of the allocation they have appropriated to themselves. The people who constituted RMAFC are also human beings who have placed an average Nigerian on 18,000 minimum wage per month. And why have they allowed such jumbo pay in the National Assembly?”
When asked on his reaction on the purported removal of fuel subsidy which was allegedly reported, Mr Martin said: “I voted for Buhari because he campaigned on the basis of change which we still are looking forward for. We are excited at his coming, but he must also be decisive and make his government to be open by way of information. Today, an information will be released and mongered, and tomorrow, he will say he did not say it.”

He, therefore, advised the media managers of President Buhari to come out straight with genuine information so that people will not continue to spread rumours about issues. “They have to be proactive and tell us where the president is directing the nation towards,” he stated.

•Photo shows Peregrino Brimah and other protesters in front of the National Assembly.

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