- Senator Joshua Dariye is still receiving about N14million monthly allwoance despite being in prison
- The senator was convicted for embezzling N1.162bn and has been in prison for the last six months
Senator Joshua Dariye, representing Plateau Central senatorial district, is still receiving the N750, 000 salary and N13.5m monthly running cost from the National Assembly despite being a prison after he was convicted by a Federal High Court.
Dariye was convicted by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of an FCT High Court for embezzling N1.162bn but six months later, the senator is still receiving about N14.2 million monthly from the national assembly, according to an investigative reports by The Punch.
Senator Dariye's aide, Christopher John, who confirmed the report said the convict and his aides were still receiving their full allowances.
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John said: “He has already appealed the case; so he is still a senator pending the decision of the Supreme Court.
“It is right for us to still be receiving salaries because his case has not ended. There are many other senators having issues with the courts like Senator Attah Idoko from Kogi state. Judgment was given in favour of AVM Isaac Alfa but since Idoko has appealed the case, he is still serving and attending sittings as a senator pending the outcome of the case.
“Aides should still be receiving salary because Dariye is still a senator. And he is still receiving his allowances and will continue to do so until the case is closed.”
However, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said he could not confirm if Dariye was still receiving allowances or not.
Olaniyonu said: “The Senate President has no power to declare any seat vacant except he is presented with a request. We have to receive official communication from those who prosecuted him. We cannot read a report in the newspapers and go ahead to declare his seat vacant.
“Even if a senator dies, his family would inform the leadership of the Senate or senators would go and pay a condolence visit and officially confirm that he is dead and then the Independent National Electoral Commission will be notified that the seat is vacant.
“Those who convicted Senator Dariye never informed us that he had been convicted. In fact, we even read that he bought the APC ticket to contest for re-election. The AGF prosecuted him and he ought to write the Senate so that the seat can be declared vacant and another election conducted.”
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The Director for Information at the National Assembly, Mr Jerry Agada, who also spoke on the issue said the National Assembly has no power to declare Dariye's seat vacant.
“The procedure of the National Assembly is that a person’s seat must be declared vacant before he is no longer a senator. Based on the latest information we have, they said he had taken the matter to the Supreme Court.
“On our own, we have no power to stop the salary or allowances of any senator whose seat has not been declared vacant. Our intention was that his pay would be put on hold pending the outcome of the case but do we even have such powers?
“He remains a senator in the eyes of the law. It is not a matter of morality now but a matter of law. The power to declare any seat vacant resides in the Senate President or the Speaker," Agada said
Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that Senator Joshua Dariye, while in prison, bought his nomination and expression of interest forms to run for the Plateau central senatorial district seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A supporter of the former Plateau state governor, Monday Shadrack Kopmut, in a Facebook post on Saturday, September 8, shared photos of Dariye’s purported nomination and expressions of interest forms, which had already been filled.
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Source: Legit.ng
