Varied voices have left Nigerians questioning the true amount fixed for lawmakers in the country. Senator Sumaila Kawu, a representative of Kano south disclosed on Wednesday that senator’s total monthly earnings amount to N21 million.
This revelation occurs just a day after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) says each of the 109 senators occupying legislative seats in the red chamber earns ₦1,063,860 salary and allowances per month.
According to Kawu who said in an interview with British Broadcasting Hausa Service, his monthly salary is approximately N1 Million, while his total earnings amount to N21 million.
The RMAFC had given a breakdown of the salary and allowances as
Basic Salary – ₦168,866:70;
Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance – ₦126,650:00;
Personal Assistant – ₦42,216:66;
Domestic Staff -₦126,650:00;
Entertainment – ₦50,660:00;
Utilities – ₦50,660:00;
Newspapers/Periodicals – ₦25,330:00;
Wardrobe – ₦42,216.66:00;
House Maintenance – ₦8,443.33:00 and
Constituency Allowance – ₦422,166:66.
The total being 1,063,859.35
While the RMAFC chair M. B. Shehu, made the clarification on Tuesday about the true amount allocated to members in the Red chamber, the statement by the Kano south Senator has given new information to the public. While the RMAFC’s clarification was towards the recent statement by Mr Shehu sani, a former senator who disclosed the allowances of the senators at ₦13.5M in addition to the monthly ₦750,000, prescribed by the Commission.
The RMAFC chief also explained other allowances which the senators are entitled to were not paid regularly like the Furniture allowance (₦6,079,200:00), Severance Gratuity (₦6,079,200:00) and Vehicle allowance (₦8,105,600:00) which is optional as a loan and to be paid before end of service.
However, Ireti Kingibe, the Labour Party senator representing FCT disclosed that a senator’s salary is approximately N600,000 while allowances bring the total to N1.5 million.
Remember that on Sunday, the Senate members tackled the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo over his comment that lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly (NASS) fix their salaries.
While the members clarified that they only receive salaries allocated to them by the RMAFC in line with the constitution, the varying voices on the true amount the law makers earn has left the citizens in distrust of the administration.
Netizens on X reacted to the news of senators earning N21 million monthly. @MOnwuchekwaa said:
“So, who do we believe at this point? Is it the senator that is telling the truth of the revenue mobilisation allocation and fiscal commission? Every time issues around the earnings of the members of that National Assembly come up, they begin to behave like there’s a secret they must protect at all costs.
“Why is it difficult for us to know exactly what our national legislators earn without all these squabbles every time? Mtcheew”
@donald_segun said: “It is so unfortunate that the RMAFC chose to lie to Nigerians about the remunerations of the NASS members. It makes the members of NASS state the truth. The chairman of the RMAFC deserves to lose his job immediately”.
Even though the RMAFC have disclosed the total amount allocated to senators monthly, the revelation by Senator Sumaila Kawu have left the citizens in doubt.
