Comrade Debo Adeniran is a human rights activist and Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL)
It is like this present National Assembly is starting on the same note that the old regime left behind. Our argument hitherto has been that the jumbo allowances being paid members of the National Assembly be reduced.
Their pay and allowances should reflect the mood of the time in the country and they should lead by example. If they are given N9 billion wardrobe allowance, each member would have access to an average of N17 million when an average Nigerian cannot boast of one square meal in a day.

It is going to be lopsided and unreasonable for those who are elected to represent us with a view to making our lives better. The N9 billion allowance would be a wrong way to represent an impoverished people because what the people thought before they elected these lawmakers is that their representatives are already rich enough to take care of their own wardrobe.
Who are they trying to impress by the expensive wardrobe that they are paid? If the wardrobe is that high, then what is it going to be when it comes to furniture, car and other allowances? It means Nigerians should expect a shocker for those ones because the cost would be too outrageous and insensitive.
It is apparent that our so-called representatives are not in tune with what the situation in the country is. Naira is daily depreciating, industries are folding up and majority of the youth do not have jobs.

It is high time the lawmakers realised that the youth look up to them as role models and as long as they (the youth) are not able to match the standard expected of them, they would feel inferior and inadequate and that sense of inadequacy would lead to them thinking of short-cut to success, which is the major reason for the high crime rate in our country.
It is very appalling and unfortunate that the present administration is starting on a note like this despite the promise of change before they got to power.

It is preposterous that the National Assembly of a country that has a preponderance of its citizens living below poverty line could set aside a whooping N9 billion as wardrobe allowance.

Earmarking such a humongous amount for such frivolous purpose is the highest height of insensitivity on the part of the lawmakers to the plight of the country as a whole.This is a government Nigerians are expecting to cut salaries and emoluments of its officers.
This makes one to wonder if this new administration is sincerely ready to live up to its promise of a better Nigeria for all and sundry. In essence, the action of the lawmakers is not only reprehensible, but retrogressive and must be condemned by every well meaning Nigerians.