Senators earn N1m monthly — Revenue Commission
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has revealed that each of the 109 senators in the National Assembly earns a monthly salary and allowances totaling N1,063,860.
According to the commission, the breakdown of the salary and allowances includes basic salary (N168,866:70), motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance (N126,650:00), personal assistant (N42,216:66), domestic staff (N126,650:00), entertainment (N50,660:00), utilities (N50,660:00), newspapers/periodicals (N25,330:00), wardrobe (N42,216:66), house maintenance (N8,443.33:00), and constituency allowance (N422,166:66).
RMAFC chairman M.B. Shehu clarified that the commission 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.
Shehu also explained that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular, citing examples such as furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200:00) which are paid once in every tenure, and vehicle allowance (N8,105,600:00) which is optional and a loan that must be repaid before leaving office.
The RMAFC Chief also noted that public and legislative officers, except for the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives, are no longer provided with housing as was the case in the past.
In a related development, the Senate has tackled former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his comment that lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly fix their salaries. 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. Obasanjo had said it was “immoral” for federal lawmakers to determine their salaries and allowances, and that the RMAFC should be saddled with this responsibility.
