The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has disclosed that each Nigerian Senator receives a total monthly salary and allowances amounting to N1,063,860,leadership reports.
The detailed breakdown includes a basic salary of N168,866.70, motor vehicle fueling and maintenance allowance of N126,650, N42,216.66 for a personal assistant, N126,650 for domestic staff, N50,660 for entertainment, N50,660 for utilities, N25,330 for newspapers/periodicals, N42,216.66 for wardrobe allowance, N8,443.33 for house maintenance, and a constituency allowance of N422,166.66.
RMAFC Chairman Muhammed Bello Shehu made this revelation on Tuesday in response to recent controversies surrounding the actual salaries and allowances of National Assembly members. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had recently claimed that federal lawmakers determine their salaries and allowances contrary to existing laws. Additionally, former Senator Shehu Sani had previously disclosed that each Senator receives a monthly running cost of N13.5 million, alongside the N750,000 monthly salary set by the commission.
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Shehu clarified that the commission, legally empowered to set salaries and allowances for political officeholders, distinguishes between regular and non-regular allowances. Regular allowances are paid with the basic salary, while non-regular allowances, such as the N6,079,200 furniture allowance and N6,079,200 severance gratuity, are disbursed once per tenure. The N8,105,600 vehicle allowance, which is optional, is provided as a loan to be repaid before leaving office.
“A detailed examination of the monthly entitlements of Senators reveals that each Senator collects N1,063,860, which includes a basic salary of N168,866.70, motor vehicle fueling and maintenance allowance of N126,650, N42,216.66 for a personal assistant, N126,650 for domestic staff, N50,660 for entertainment, N50,660 for utilities, N25,330 for newspapers/periodicals, N42,216.66 for wardrobe allowance, N8,443.33 for house maintenance, and a constituency allowance of N422,166.66,” Shehu stated in a personally signed statement.
He further emphasized that, apart from a few high-ranking officials like the President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, public and legislative officers no longer receive housing allowances as they did in the past.
The Commission also called on Nigerians to verify the actual remuneration packages for political, public, and judicial office holders in Nigeria, as published on its website, to avoid misinformation. However, Shehu acknowledged that the RMAFC lacks the constitutional power to enforce compliance with the official remuneration package, a gap that the National Assembly is currently addressing.
