In the buildup to the August 1 to 10 nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, the House of Representatives announced a move to halve their salaries for six months to show Nigerians the government’s willingness to cut the cost of governance.

Their pledge, if they kept it, would have taken N108m out of their pockets in July alone and contributed to combatting hunger. What they did keep instead was their full salaries as EQ later found.

Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the green chamber, said during the July 18 plenary: “This time is calling for sacrifice. People here are willing to make sacrifices. Please bear with the government a little. Let’s make sacrifices with our salaries.”

While the lawmakers were deliberating this, the presidency was paying a combined total of N171,094,800 as honorariums, N500,000,000 for presidential trips, and N13,053,466.37 as President Bola Tinubu’s July salary.

EQ cleaned data off the Govspend portal and found that between July 13 and 26, N684,148,266 went into these expenses — N36.1 million more than the N648 million the lawmakers would have sacrificed in six months. Tinubu’s salary alone was more than the combined salaries of 21 House of Representatives members earning N600,000 monthly.

These heavy spendings were made despite Tinubu’s repeated requests for Nigerians to endure the current hardship, most recent of which was on Wednesday when he urged the people to “look beyond the present temporary pains and aim at the larger picture” even though “this period may be hard on us and there is no doubt that it is tough on us”.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

On July 13, 2024, the State House Headquarters made five payments into its transit account. These payments — N9,840,600.00, N15,429,800.00, N10,290,000.00, N49,795,400.00 and N5,346,500.00 — all had the same description: ‘Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June 2024’.

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Two days later, the Office of the President made four similar payments into the transit account. They were N17,779,500.00, N25,306,000.00, N12,393,500.00 and N5,845,900.00.

The Vice President’s office also made honorarium payments on July 16. They were N12,006,900.00 and N7,060,700.00. All payments had the same payment description.

DATEMDABENEFICIARYAMOUNTDESCRIPTIONPAYMENT NO.PAYER CODE13, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦9,840,600.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195207-1011100100113, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦15,429,800.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195207-3011100100113, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦10,290,000.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195207-5011100100113, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦49,795,400.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195207-7011100100113, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦5,346,500.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195247-9011100100115, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account  ₦17,779,500.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 20241001195257-3011100100215, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account  ₦25,306,000.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June 20241001195257-5011100100215, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account  ₦12,393,500.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 2024.1001195257-7011100100215, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account₦5,845,900.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 2024.1001195253-10011100100216, Jul 2024State house operations – vice presidentState house hqtrs_transit account₦12,006,900.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of June, 2024.1001195229-13011100100316, Jul 2024State house operations – vice presidentState house hqtrs_transit account₦7,060,700.00Payment for presidential honorarium for the month of june, 2024.1001195229-50111001003Data compiled by Daniel Ojukwu/EQ and cleaned off Govspend Portal

On the same day the state house made its honorarium payments, it also made a N350 million payment into the transit account. This transaction was described as ‘Payment for presidential trips and other related expenses.’

Six days later on July 19, they made two payments; N48 million and N102 million into the account. This totalled N150 million, and brought the July spending on presidential trips to N500 million.

DATEMDABENEFICIARYAMOUNTDESCRIPTIONPAYMENT NO.PAYER CODE13, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦350,000,000.00Payment for presidential trips and other related expenses.1001195247-10011100100119, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦48,000,000.00Payment for presidential trips and other related expenses.1001196682-1011100100119, Jul 2024State house – hqtrsState house hqtrs_transit account₦102,000,000.00Payment for presidential trips and other related expenses.1001196680-10111001001Data compiled by Daniel Ojukwu/EQ and cleaned off Govspend Portal

EQ also found that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) paid Tinubu’s July salary on July 26. The figure was N13,053,466.37.

Meanwhile, the state house also spent N85,369,224 to rent the Continental Hotel in Abuja and decorate several locations for the June 12 Democracy Day celebration.

READ ALSO: DECEIT: Reps Receive 100% July Salaries Despite Promising to Donate 50%

When the presidency announced plans for the 2024 celebration, it included a 6 pm youth conference at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel.

EQ also found that on July 19, the state house paid N16,969,224.48 into the transit account to be paid to Capital Hotels PLC, the parent company of Abuja Continental Hotel. They then paid N68,400,000.00 to Rock of Ages Total Events Centre for ‘The decoration in respect of democracy day.’

DATEMDABENEFICIARYAMOUNTDESCRIPTIONPAYMENT NO.PAYER CODE15, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account₦68,400,000.00Payment in respect of rock of ages total events centre for the decoration iro democracy day.1001195257-4011100100215, Jul 2024State house operations – presidentState house hqtrs_transit account₦16,969,224.48Payment in favour of capital hotels hotels plc for continental hotel, abuja for the service rendered1001195253-40111001002Data compiled by Daniel Ojukwu/EQ and cleaned off Govspend Portal

A month before the democracy day, the Africa Polling Institute (API) published a survey report stating 84% of Nigerians were dissatisfied with Tinubu’s leadership of the country.

According to this survey, the majority of Nigerians believed the country was headed in the wrong direction. Three months later, Nigerians took to the streets to express their disaffection.

Among the criticisms against the Tinubu administration is a high cost of governance and an unwillingness to cut costs.

Tinubu has 48 ministers working with him, the highest in Nigeria’s history, and recently, he announced the creation of a ministry of livestock.
The post Tinubu Told Nigerians To Endure, But Presidency Spent N171m on Honorariums in June appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.