As debates continue over the actual take-home pay of federal lawmakers amid the nation’s economic challenges and the secrecy surrounding their monthly compensation, new information is surfacing,leadership reports.
This comes in the wake of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent claim that members of the National Assembly set exorbitant salaries and allowances for themselves, in violation of existing laws.
In response to the controversy, Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, a member of the 10th Senate representing the Kano South senatorial district under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), disclosed that he receives a total of N21 million monthly in salary and allowances.
Speaking to the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, monitored by our correspondent, Senator Sumaila clarified that his official salary is determined by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the body legally responsible for setting the salaries and allowances of political officeholders.
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“My monthly salary is less than N1 million. After deductions, it comes down to a little over N600,000,” Senator Sumaila said. He added, “With the increase in the Senate, each Senator now receives N21 million every month as a running cost.”
The controversy persists, however, as Senator Sumaila’s revelations contradict the figures provided by RMAFC. According to the RMAFC, each member of the Senate receives a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860. The breakdown includes a basic salary of N168,866.70, motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650, personal assistant allowance of N42,216.66, domestic staff allowance of N126,650, entertainment allowance of N50,660, utilities allowance of N50,660, newspapers/periodicals allowance of N25,330, wardrobe allowance of N42,216.66, house maintenance allowance of N8,443.33, and constituency allowance of N422,166.66.
RMAFC Chairman Muhammed Bello Shehu made this disclosure in response to the ongoing controversy over the actual salaries and allowances of Nigeria’s federal lawmakers.
It’s worth noting that former President Obasanjo recently accused federal lawmakers of setting their salaries and allowances contrary to the law. Similarly, former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, previously revealed that each Senator receives a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the N750,000 monthly salary set by the commission.
RMAFC Chairman Shehu explained that some allowances are regular and paid alongside the basic salary, while others are non-regular and paid as needed. For instance, furniture allowance (N6,079,200) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200) are paid once per tenure, while vehicle allowance (N8,105,600) is optional and treated as a loan that must be repaid before leaving office.
Shehu emphasized that, aside from a few high-ranking officials such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, public and legislative officers no longer receive housing benefits as they did in the past.
“The Commission also wishes to clarify that any allegations of additional allowances enjoyed by political or public officeholders outside those stipulated in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act, 2008, should be addressed by those making such claims,” Shehu stated. He also urged Nigerians and other interested parties to access the official remuneration details for political, public, and judicial officeholders in Nigeria, available on the RMAFC website.
Shehu acknowledged that RMAFC lacks constitutional powers to enforce the proper implementation of the official remuneration package, a gap that the National Assembly is currently addressing.
Many Nigerians believe that lawmakers are exploiting this legal loophole to enrich themselves, lending credibility to former President Obasanjo’s claims.
