The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has cleared the air on the salaries and allowances of Nigerian senators, revealing that each lawmaker collects a monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860.
The amount consists the following: Basic Salary, N168,866:70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance, N126,650:00; Personal Assistant, N42,216:66; Domestic Staff, 126,650:00; Entertainment, N50,660:00; Utilities, N50,660:00; Newspapers/Periodicals, N25,330:00; wardrobe, N42,216,66:00; House Maintenance, N8,443.33:00 and Constituency Allowance, N422,166:66; respectively
In a statement, the chairman of the commission, Mohammed Bello Shehu, noted that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as at when due. For instance, furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and vehicle allowance (N8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office.
“It is important to also emphasise that with the exception of some few political, public office-holders such as the president, vice president, senate president, speaker of the House of Representative etc., all public and legislative officers are no longer provided with housing as was the case in the past.
“The commission also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any allegation regarding other allowance(s) being enjoyed by any political, public office-holder outside those provided in the remuneration (Amendment) Act, 2008 should be explained by the person who made the allegation.
“To avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading citizens and members of the international community, the commission considers it most appropriate and necessary to request Nigerians and any other interested party to avail themselves of the opportunity to access the actual details of the present remuneration package for political, public and judicial office- holders in Nigeria published on its website: www.rmafc.gov.ng” he said.
Recall that a former senator, Shehu Sani, was reported to have disclosed that each senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly N750,000.00 prescribed by the commission.
The allegation generated a lot of controversies that occupied the front burner of national discourse, especially amongst elder statesmen, public affairs commentators, civil society organisations and the media.
To this effect, the commission found it expedient to put the cards on the table to avoid further controversies capable of further jeopardising the fragile peace of the nation.
