The debate over the salaries of federal lawmakers continues despite recent clarifications from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
On the same day RMAFC released details about senators’ salaries, Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP – Kano South) stirred up further controversy. In an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, Senator Sumaila revealed, “My monthly salary is less than N1 million. After deductions, it comes down to just over N600,000. However, each Senator receives N21 million per month as a running cost.”
Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo reiterated his claim that federal lawmakers set their own salaries. This statement was strongly refuted by the Senate and House of Representatives, who labeled the former president’s comments as misleading and incorrect. On Monday, RMAFC disclosed the approved salary structure for senators.
According to RMAFC, the breakdown is as follows: 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.
Additionally, the RMAFC outlined that furniture allowance (N6,079,200) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200) are paid once per tenure, while the vehicle allowance (N8,105,600) is a loan that must be repaid before leaving office.
To prevent misinformation, RMAFC has encouraged Nigerians and other interested parties to review the full details of the remuneration package on their website: www.rmafc.gov.ng.
Senator Sumaila’s recent comments have only intensified the ongoing controversy, which has been prevalent since the return to civilian rule in 1999. In a previous controversy, former Senator Shehu Sani had reported a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to his salary, which also faced backlash from the National Assembly.
Senate spokesperson Senator Yemi Adaramodu has promised an official response to the latest issue.
