RMAFC is being economical with the truth, serving senators earn N21m monthly, I received N13.5m — Shehu Sani

Shehu Sani, a former senator who represented Kaduna central has once again insisted that federal lawmakers earn more than what is documented in Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The former lawmaker who featured on Channels Television on Wednesday said the recent revelations by Kawu Ismail, a serving senator of the 10th assembly, representing Kano South corroborates his earlier stance.

Sani said lawmakers are serving the public, noting that it’s only appropriate for the people whom they’re serving to know the actual amount they receive. He maintained that RMAFC is being “economical with the truth”.

“Before I came to this interview I was going through the papers and I saw a statement credited to one of the senators from Kano, distinguished senator Kawu Ismaila, who confirmed what I said about senators particularly of this set receiving up to N21 million monthly.

“During my time, I was in the senate and I was pricked by my conscience as an activist who went to the Senate to unveil what has been made secret for over two decades,” the lawmaker said.

“I believe that taxpayers and Nigerians in general have the right to know how much their legislators are earning and how much they have actually been given. I went on as a serving Senator then to disclose what I do receive monthly, what is credited into my account at that time and it was 13.5 million”.

According to RMAFC, the body empowered to fix salaries and allowances for public office holders, a Nigerian senator goes home with N1,063,860 ($672) each month but a new revelation by Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, a serving lawmaker, representing Kano South states otherwise.

The senator said he earns a cumulative N21 million monthly in salary and allowances, disclosing this in a chat with BBC Hausa Wednesday.

“My monthly salary is less than 1 million. 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 N21 million every month as running cost.”

These inconsistencies in the actual salary accrued to the Nigerian lawmakers have continued to raise eyebrows, especially as the country is contending with its worst economic crisis in decades.