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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The lawmaker representing Kano South, Senator Sumaila Kawu, has revealed that he earns over N21 million monthly as a total take-home package.
The revelation is coming few days after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, had stated this in a statement on Monday while reacting to the recent controversy over the real amount each lawmaker earns per month.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had last week accused federal lawmakers of fixing their salaries and allowances, a claim the Senate has denied.
Shehu said each lawmaker earns N12.72 million in 12 months, adding that Federal Government makes a total expenditure of N1.4 billion annually for 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 noted that “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,” he added.
However, Kawu in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service, on Wednesday, stated that although his monthly salary is about N1 million, but his total take home was N21 million, a wide margin from figures quoted by RMFAC.
The senator said after taxes, the total take home amounts to about N600,000.
“The amount of salary received per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about N600,000.
“In the Senate, each senator is given N21 million every month as the cost of running his office,” he said.
