‘Nigerian Senator’s Basic Salaries Not Enough’, Labout Party’s Ireti Kingibe Gives Breakdown

Ireti Kingibe, the Senator who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has emphasized that a significant portion of her senatorial salary is dedicated to addressing the pressing needs and challenges faced by the rural areas in Abuja.

In addition, Senator Kingibe clarified that it was the 9th Assembly, not the 10th Assembly, that was responsible for procuring luxury SUVs for the senators, contrary to common belief.

“it is more important to make sure that the problems that Abuja experiences with insecurity, healthcare, and other aspects are solved before the construction of other infrastructure in the state.”

Kingibe was interrogated regarding the commitment she had made during the campaign to utilize her fundamental salary for extending assistance to the residents of Abuja.

“People are under the misconception that the basic salary of a senator is a lot. Really, it’s not as much. But so far, I’ve been a senator- in the next week or two it will be maybe 6 months, because there’s such intense poverty out there, a lot of it goes for palliatives. Oh, I have no food, I need to do this, so, a lot of that goes there.

“But that notwithstanding, I’m in the process of trying to buy a rig so that some of those infrastructural process you are talking about, I’m trying to see if, in partnership with some donor agencies, I can get a greater, so that some short rural roads, it will make a little bit of a difference, so yes. I leave the bigger ones to the minister to do in terms of infrastructure, I’m just trying to do the little ones that will make a difference.”