Real Reasons Senators Don’t Want You To Know How Much They Really Earn – Sen. Bamidele

Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, has noted that some bills are part of the reasons Nigerians misunderstand the ninth National Assembly.

He noted further that some of his colleagues do not want their salaries and allowances published for national security reasons.

He said this following a recent uproar over the welfare package of the federal lawmakers. Many have called for it to be slashed.

Within the last one year,  controversy has been stirred up by activities of some of the private member bills sponsored by the federal lawmakers for consideration and possible passage.

These controversial bills includes; the Anti-Social Media bill, hate speech bill, a bill seeking to establish an agency for repentant Boko Haram insurgents, a bill for an act to prohibit/ban the use of generators and the infectious disease bill.

Bamidele who spoke in an interview with newsmen weekend in Abuja, said the bills were wrongly perceived by Nigerians regardless of the sponsors’ intention.

He said, “We have had some bills in the last one year that also didn’t help our popularity, regardless of the fact that the distinguished senators who sponsored the bills meant so well.

He noted that many people are yet to understand the workings of the parliament, adding that the Senate cannot be held responsible when a private member bill is read for the first time, whether it is bad or not.

“We have other 108 members who will assess the bill, and part of the process of the legislation is that the bill itself, after the senators would have debated the general principle during second reading, will be subjected to public scrutiny. You could have a situation where the preponderance of opinion would have even killed the bill and that will be the end.

“But a lot of time, the parliament is assessed based on the kind or nature of bills that are read for the first time and then people bring it down with comments and insinuations on social media.

They, however, mean well.” he said