Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate, has admitted that members of the National Assembly receive more pay than they should at a time when Nigeria is struggling to provide enough funding for its security agencies.
This online medium reports that Ndume made the remark during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme aired on Friday, June 26, 2026.
He spoke while discussing the country’s security challenges and the need for the government to properly fund the military and other security agencies.
The lawmaker said Nigeria’s spending priorities need to change, arguing that too much public money is spent on the salaries and allowances of top government officials while soldiers and police officers, who risk their lives daily, are not adequately rewarded.
He also turned his attention to the National Assembly and the executive arm, saying that any honest discussion of security funding must also examine the high cost of running the government.
According to him, he has raised the issue several times in the past and still believes lawmakers are paid more than they should receive.
Ndume admitted that both he and his fellow senators are overpaid, adding that the government also spends too much on those in public office.
He said: “And it is not only the government you are asking about funding. How much are they paying each senator? And what am I doing? I think I am being overpaid. Or we are being overpaid. Or the government is overpaying itself. “
