Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly(LAHA), Hon Adeyemi Ikuforiji says not less than N6billion is being spent to run the Lagos State House of Assembly in the year 2013.
The speaker made the revelation while defending allegation that he opted to stay back in LAHA as Speaker because there was so much money to be made as speaker.
LAGOS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SPENDS N6 BILLION AS RUNNING COST
“Everybody knows that there is so much money in the National Assembly than in the state assembly. Our budget for running cost in the assembly for the whole year is N6 Billion. From the money, we do repairs, buy fuel for generators, send lawmakers, assembly staffers and even ad-hoc staff to training programmes in Nigeria and abroad.
“It is not possible for me to claim money from the allocation without carrying my colleagues along. They will skin me alive if I try to short-change them anyhow. We are building an institution that will outlive us and strengthen us, people should even praise us”, the speaker said.
The speaker said he committed no offence for turning down the offer to proceed to the Senate in 2011 so as to remain closer to his people. He said lawmakers in the state and workers in the assembly are the best trained in the country, saying they ensure efficient running of the Assembly from the money allocated to them.
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Ikuforiji however said he will not return back to the Assembly, hinting that he has decided move on in 2015. “ I am not coming back to the Lagos State House of Assembly. I have had enough; others should take over from us. My love for the people and the need to be closer to them was the reason I decided to serve here, but enough is enough” .
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