The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has clarified that each of the 109 senators occupying legislative seats in the red chamber earns ₦1,063,860 salary and allowances per month.
Naturenex reports that the commission made the clarification “in view of the recent statement made by Mr. Shehu Sani, a former Senator of the Federal Republic who was reported to have disclosed to the public that each Senator collects a monthly running cost of ₦13.5 M in addition to the monthly ₦750, 000.00 prescribed by the Commission”.
Recall that the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, had last week condemned the federal lawmakers for determining their salaries and allowances.
Obasanjo described the development as ‘immoral, stressing that the RMAFC should be saddled with this responsibility.
However, RMAFC chair M. B. Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday, gave the breakdown of the salary and allowances of each senator as: Basic Salary – ₦168,866:70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance – ₦126,650:00; Personal Assistant – ₦42,216:66; Domestic Staff -₦126,650:00; Entertainment – ₦50,660:00; Utilities – ₦50,660:00; Newspapers/Periodicals – ₦25,330:00; Wardrobe – ₦42,216,66:00; House Maintenance – ₦8,443.33:00 and Constituency Allowance – ₦422,166:66; respectively.
Shehu said some allowances are regular, while others are non-regular.
He said, “Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as when due. For instance, Furniture allowance (₦6,079,200:00) and Severance Gratuity (₦6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and Vehicle allowance (₦8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office.”
Shehu said RMAFC does not have the constitutional powers to enforce compliance with the proper implementation of lawmakers’ remuneration packages.
He added that aside from the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives, all public and legislative officers are no longer provided with housing, as was the case in the past.
