As controversy continued to trail the actual take-home pay of federal lawmakers in the face of the nation’s economic realities and the secrecy surrounding the monthly package, more facts have continued to emerge.
This is against the backdrop of the recent revelation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that members of the National Assembly fix bogus salaries and allowances for themselves in contravention of extant laws.
A member of the 10th Senate and Senator representing Kano South senatorial district of Kano State on the platform of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, has reacted to the controversy, revealing that he earns a cumulative N21million monthly in salary and allowances.
The lawmaker, in a chat with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, monitored by our correspondent, however, claimed that the official pay package was fixed by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – the body empowered by law to fix salaries and allowances of political office-holders.
“My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” Senator Sumaila said.
He, however, added that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost.”
However, there is no end in sight to the controversy as the revelations of the Kano South Senator were at variance with the position of RMAFC.
LEADERSHIP reports that RMAFC, on Tuesday, revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860.
The breakdown of the cumulative take-home pay, according to the commission, include; basic salary of N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650; N42,216:66 for personal assistant; domestic staff – N126,650:00; entertainment – N50,660:00; utilities – N50,660; newspapers/periodicals – N25,330:00; Wardrobe allowance – N42,216,66:00; house maintenance – N8,443.33 and constituency allowance – N422,166:66; respectively.
Chairman of RMAFC, Muhammed Bello Shehu, made the disclosure in a reaction to the controversy surrounding the actual salaries and allowances payable to members of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Recall that former President Obasanjo had a few days ago alleged that the federal lawmakers determine their monthly salaries and allowances contrary to extant laws. Also, a one-time Senator of Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, Shehu Sani, had once publicly disclosed that each Senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5m in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the commission.
However, the RMAFC chairman 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 of when due. For instance, furniture allowance (N6,079,200 million) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200 million) are paid once in every tenure and vehicle allowance (N8,105,600 million) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office.
“A closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of 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,” the RMAFC chairman said in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday.
He emphasised that with the exception of some few political and public office holders such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representative, among others, 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 stated.
He, however, acknowledged that RMAFC does not have constitutional powers to enforce compliance with proper implementation of the official remuneration package, a lacuna he said was being addressed by the National Assembly.
Not a few Nigerians believe that the lawmakers were exploiting the lacuna in the law to enrich themselves, a development that gives credence to the claim of former President Obasanjo.