KANO LAWMAKER EXPOSES MONTHLY TAKE HOME PAY OF N21M
Senator Sumaila Kawu, the lawmaker representing Kano South, has stated that his monthly take-home pay exceeds N21 million.
This disclosure comes just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission announced that each of the upper chamber’s 109 senators receives N1.06 million in pay and benefits every month.
Mohammed Shehu, Chairman of the RMAFC, stated this as a clarification in response to recent controversy over how much each congressman earns per month.
According to Shehu’s statement, each lawmaker earns N12.72 million each year, with the Federal Government spending a total of N1.4 billion on all senators.
A breakdown of their monthly earnings revealed that each Senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860, consisting of a basic salary, N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance, N126,650:00; and personal assistant, N42,216:66.
Others include 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.
Shehu in the statement noted, “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.”
However, Senator Kawu in an interview with British Broadcasting Hausa Service, on Wednesday morning disclosed that although his monthly salary is about N1m, but his total take-home was N21m, a wide margin from figures quoted by RMFAC.
Kawu said, “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1m, if there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.”
He noted that the RMFAC normally makes a few deductions.
The amount of money collected by federal legislators has sparked new debates since last week.
Last week, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who was president between 1999 and 2007, had Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital while receiving in audience, six members of the House of Representatives, led by Ikenga UgoChinyere who visited him, chided the federal lawmakers for fixing their salaries and emoluments.
During the discussion, 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).”