We’re earning peanuts, says Nigerian senator

The senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Olanrewaju Tejuoso, has lamented that Nigerian senators are paid peanuts, hence their inability to achieve much.

Mr Tejuoso, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Health claimed what some of them spent daily was more than what they earned.

He told Punch that, “All I can say is that whatever we are paid is not up to what we pay to and what we do for our people (constituents) back home. We are paid peanuts compared to the expenses we incur daily. We pay their (constituents) school fees, rent, funeral expenses and even bills of child delivery. They expect us to do everything. If you don’t do it, they will say you are a bad senator.

When asked which bills and motions he has sponsored in the Senate, Mr Tejuoso said, “the amendment to the National Health Insurance Scheme Act aimed at ensuring that we make it mandatory for every Nigerian to contribute and to make the administration of the health insurance process better. We also have the Cancer Bill to ensure that we have more cancer centres for people to have their cancers managed in the country.

“There is also one on funding for malaria and other bills in the process, including one on the environment to ensure that we replace all the trees being cut all over the place so that the climatic condition is not adversely affected.”