Embattled chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi has refused to disclose the actual amount he earns as salary and severance package, arguing that “it is totally irresponsible, unnecessary”, for any public official to do so.
Amadi, who was forced to call a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday to address the issue of N2.7 billion severance package allegedly approved for himself and his commissioners, said it was left for the press and anyone else interested to demand for the record.
Hear him: “I have the temptation to say it is X, but it will be irresponsible of me or anybody to disclose it. I don’t know anywhere in the world where chief executives or senior management or commissioners have said on air we earn this.
“Even if you are earning N2,000, you don’t say it. Even in the most developed parts of the world, you don’t say it. What we do is what FoI Act has provided for you. If you want to know, you can put in a request and they will give it to you”, he stressed.
Amadi and his commissioners, whose tenure ends at the end of the year, were recently accused of approving various sums as severance package for themselves. While Mr. Amadi would receive N400 million, his six commissioners would take home N300 million each.
The NERC boss said as a result of the ongoing public trial over the N2.7 billion severance payments, the commission’s website was recently hacked and a letter was allegedly posted there by hackers to say he (Sam Amadi) asked the commissioner in charge of Finance to transfer funds to him in the United Kingdom.
He assured that the NERC would report the matter to security agencies soon.
By Olisemeka Obeche