The 10th Senate has countered claims made by Sumaila Kawu, a lawmaker representing Kano South that Nigerian senators earn N21 million monthly in salary and allowances.
Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate spokesperson in a statement on Thursday, said Kawu’s claim was far from the truth.
“For the umpteenth time, the Senate is compelled to respond to obsolete allegations of phantom salaries and personal emoluments spuriously credited to Senators monthly.
“The funds referred to by Senator Kawu Sumaila are neither his salary nor personal allowance,” Adaramodu said.
This statement comes on the heels of a raging controversy over the actual amount received by lawmakers in Nigeria.
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo had alleged that Nigerian lawmakers fix their salary and allowances by themselves, referring to such acts as “immoral”.
No sooner had he made those claims than the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC) clarified that the agency is empowered by extant law to fix salary and emoluments for public office holders.
RMAFC disclosed that a Senator earns a total sum of N1,063,860 in salary and allowances but a shocking revelation by Kawu further raised new concerns.
Kawu had said in a chat with BBC Hausa on Wednesday that he earns a cumulative N21 million monthly in salary and allowances.
“My monthly salary is less than 1 million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” he said.
The senator, however, added that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21 million every month as running cost.”
The Senate spokesperson has however tackled the Kano lawmaker, insisting that the said N21 million was allocated for smooth running of their operations.
Adaramodu said every government position/office have its share of running costs and the National Assembly cannot be an exemption.
“These funds are allocated for the daily operation of senators’ offices and other statutory officials. They also provide for constituency office staff, oversight functions, and community engagements.
“These funds are not static; they are provided for in the annual budget and must be retired with proof of genuine expenditure. They are not personal allowances or salaries for legislators.
Adaramodu revealed that the National Assembly only get around 1 per cent of the country’s budget and has limited itself to this as the members are “patriotic and not motivated by financial gains”.
“The National Assembly receives about 1% of the federal budget and has never exceeded this, even in times of widespread financial constraints.
“The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished professionals, administrators, and industry leaders, who are motivated by patriotic zeal, not by financial gain,” the Senate spokesperson stated.
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