By The National Assembly management has begun the process of disbursing severance packages to members of the Senate and the House of Representatives as the 9th Assembly comes to a close.
The Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, announced this during a plenary session on Wednesday. He urged all members to collect their clearance forms and submit them by June 9, 2023.
The 9th Assembly, which started on June 11, 2019, will conclude its term in the first week of June. The 10th Assembly will be inaugurated on June 13, 2023.
In the 2023 Appropriation Act, a total of over N30bn has been allocated for severance and welcome packages for both outgoing and incoming lawmakers and their aides.
The budget breakdown includes allocations for various bodies and departments within the National Assembly.
The figures are as follows: Severance/inauguration of outgoing and incoming legislators and aides – N30,173,520,592; National Assembly Office – N30,492,518,529; Senate – N33,267,001,807; House of Representatives – N51,994,511,954; National Assembly Service Commission – N10,555,809,322; Legislative Aides – N16,520,653,763; PAC – Senate – N118,970,215; PAC – House of Representatives – N142,764,258.
Other allocations include funds for the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, General Services, hosting of Conference of Speakers of African Parliament, and various construction and completion projects.
Furthermore, retired heads of government agencies and parastatals will receive N1bn as severance benefits, while former presidents, vice-presidents, and Chief of General Staff will be entitled to N2.3bn.
The figures mentioned above do not include the final pay in office for President Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, state governors, and other political appointees, which is estimated to cost the country around N64.72bn.
