Secret And Huge Payments: Dogara Finally Reveals His Exact Monthly Salary, Allowances As Speaker Of House Of Reps

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, disclosed that during his tenure as a presiding officer, he received a monthly allowance of N25 million.

Speaking at the Open Week of the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday, Dogara clarified that his monthly salary as Speaker was N400,000.

He emphasized that the issue of earnings for members of the National Assembly has been a contentious topic, noting that despite the allowances, they often do not last more than three days. Dogara lamented the misconception among Nigerians about the salaries and allowances of lawmakers, which has unfairly tarnished their image.

“While I served as Speaker, my salary was less than N400,000. I am not sure if it has been increased since then. My total imprest was N25 million, which I instructed my accountant to manage separately. I never withdrew any money from that account; every expense from it was used for the benefit of my constituents,” Dogara explained.

He expressed concern about the heavy demands on the imprest account and instructed his accountant to borrow when necessary, with plans to reimburse it promptly when funds were available.

Dogara called for transparency in the National Assembly’s financial affairs to dispel the perception that legislators receive exorbitant monthly sums. He suggested that exploring a more cost-effective local model of democracy could be considered if the current system is deemed too expensive.