I get N21 million monthly as running cost — Kano senator

A Kano lawmaker, Senator Sumaila Kawu, has revealed he earned about N21 million monthly as his take-home pay, contradicting the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s (RMAFC) which had, on Tuesday, claimed the 109 lawmakers in the red chamber get N1.06 million each.

Kawu, who is representing Kano South senatorial district at the National Assembly, while speaking in an interview with the British Broadcasting Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, said that though his monthly salary is about N1m, but his total take-home was N21m.

“My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” Senator Sumaila said, adding that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost.”

The Guardian reports that the debate about the amount Nigerian lawmakers earn was sparked by a former lawmaker and activist, Shehu Sani, who alleged that each senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5m in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the RMFAC.

Also, elderstateman and former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, had last week, while receiving six members of the House of Representatives lambasted the senators for fixing their salaries and allowance, and receiving what he called immoral benefits.

Obasanjo said, “In your case, with all due respect, you’re not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you give yourselves (including) newspaper allowances.

“You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral, (yet) you are doing it, the Senate is doing it, and you are beating your chests about it. In some cases, the executive gives you what you’re not entitled to. You all got N200 million (each).”

Reacting to Obasanjo’s allegation, the RMFAC, in a statement by its chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said the commission does not have the authority to enforce compliance with the approved remuneration package for lawmakers but noted that the National Assembly is currently addressing this issue.

The RMAFC also provided a detailed breakdown of the components constituting the senators’ monthly earnings, categorising them into regular and non-regular allowances. While regular allowances are paid consistently, non-regular ones like furniture and vehicle allowances are disbursed on specific occasions.

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.

“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.

However, Shehu added that 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.”