The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said that each of the 109 senators occupying legislative seats in the red chamber earn ₦1,063,860 salary and allowances per month.
In a statement released, the RMAFC chairman, M. B. Shehu, said he needed to give the clarification “in view of the recent statement made by Mr. Shehu Sani, a former Senator of the Federal Republic who was reported to have disclosed to the public that each Senator collects monthly running cost of ₦13.5 M in addition to the monthly ₦750, 000.00 prescribed by the Commission”.
Shehu said RMAFC does not have the constitutional powers to enforce compliance with the proper implementation of the remuneration package of lawmakers.
“This lacuna is, however, being addressed by the National Assembly,” he said
The commission gave the breakdown of the salary and allowances of each senator 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; respectively.
The RMAFC chief said some allowances are regular while others are non-regular.
“Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as when due.
“For instance, Furniture allowance (₦6,079,200:00) and Severance Gratuity (₦6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and Vehicle allowance (₦8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office,” he added.
Shehu said that aside from the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives, all public and legislative officers are no longer provided with housing, as was the case in the past.
On Sunday, the Senate tackled former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his comment that lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly (NASS) fix their salaries. Obasanjo had in a recent interview said it was “immoral” for federal lawmakers to determine their salaries and allowances. Instead, he said, the RMAFC should be saddled with this responsibility.
In reaction to Obasanjo’s comment, the Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, challenged anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts, describing any suggestion that the National Assembly fixes its salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”
Adaramodu said the red chamber only receives the salary allocated to it by the RMAFC in line with the constitution.