The National Assembly Management on Tuesday reacted to the contentious “enjoyment allowance†paid to Senators before they embarked on a long holiday last week Monday.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, the Secretary, of Research and Information, Dr. Ali Umoru, said the said payment to senators is a statutory running cost of offices for both the upper and lower legislative chambers. He described it as unfortunate because it was mischaracterised.
The statement read: “The attention of the Management of the National Assembly has been drawn to the persistent mischaracterization and misunderstanding of the payment of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) allowance to each Senator.
“It should be noted that the two million Naira is part of the running cost of the office of each Senator as provided for in the 2023 budget.
“The allocation for running costs is not a new development; it has been standard practice. These funds are utilized to facilitate various activities that directly contribute to effective representation, legislative activities and other initiatives aimed at serving the interests of the people.