Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said members of the National Assembly are not motivated by financial gains but sacrifice to the nation.
He also defended the financial integrity of the lawmakers, saying that most of them ended up being poor after serving the country.
Mr Akpabio made the remarks while paying tribute to a former senator who represented Kaduna South, Caleb Zagi, who died recently.
It was gathered that the deceased, who served from 2007 to 2011, reportedly struggled to foot medical bills and even had to solicit for support during his illness.
Mr Akpabio said contrary to widespread belief, many lawmakers face financial hardship after losing elections.
He said: “Nigerians think a lot of money is spent in the National Assembly, but once you step out of the National Assembly, you are looking for money to even treat yourself, which shows the fallacy of all the insinuations and innuendos thrown at the legislators.
“So, I think it was an eye-opener for a lot of people. Some people think that we come here to make money. They don’t know that we come here to sacrifice for the growth of the nation so we can leave a better country for future generations.”
Similarly, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia South, also recalled how he had to contribute personal funds to assist the deceased in footing his medical bills.
“There’s an assumption that so much money is spent here on behalf of people. But of course, whatever you see, the day you walk out of this chamber is the day that this chamber also does not extend any benefits to you,” he said.
