Wednesday, August 14, 2024 –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.
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