Date: 2015-05-14

Personal staff of members of Kwara State House of Assembly are not one of the happiest set of workers in the country, National Pilot can report.

Worst hit in the cadre of their staffers are reportedly drivers most of who are placed on a “paltry” N15,000 monthly salary.

According to investigation, except for the Speaker and his Deputy whose drivers are on the pay roll of the State Assembly, drivers of the other 22 lawmakers are partly captured in the House Salary scheme.

Multiply sources within the House told this medium that the House pays N10,000 monthly to drivers and Personal Assistants employed by the lawmakers.

“Except for the drivers of Speaker and Deputy who are incorporated into the salary scheme of the House, other staff like drivers and personal assistants of the other lawmakers are being paid 10, 000 monthly”, one of the sources added.

Unconfirmed checks by this medium indicated that the 24 lawmakers are placed on a monthly income of over a million naira.

A driver to one of the lawmakers, who confirmed the development to this medium, said his boss even refused most times to grant most of the loan request sought despite forcing them to work extra hours.

He added that the situation has negative impact on their standard of living.

“People consider us as relatively comfortable because of the fact that we drive lawmakers. If not for the job situation in the state and country, I tell you, it does pay at all to work for these people (lawmakers).

“Most of us are on N15,000 basic salary per month and you dear not ask for loans or any favour because it is hardly granted. It is the additional stipend that some of us are being given daily that we requested it to be added into the monthly salary that took us to the N20,000 mark.   

“We learnt the House pays N10,000 for the drivers of the lawmakers and with that, they just add N5,000 to our salaries. It has really been difficult for most of us but we cannot complain openly about it”, the source added.

Reacting to the allegation, a member representing Omupo Constituency, Hon. Moshod Bakare, who did not reveal his personal staff salaries, said he could not comment on the issue broadly because it has to do with individual discretion of members of the house.

“I cannot really comment on the issue because it is an individual thing which involves the personal discretion of every lawmaker. For me, I don’t think any of my staff would want to leave because of the treatment and salary level I placed them on.