The controversy over federal lawmakers’ pay will not go away despite the clarification by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The day RMAFC’s clarification on senators’ salaries was made public, Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP – Kano South) raised another dust on the matter.
“My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000.
“Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost,” Senator Sumaila said in an interview on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio.
Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo restated his often-stated position that Federal Lawmakers fix salaries for themselves.
This was stridently denied by the Senate and the House of Representatives, who described the former president’s comment as mischievous and incorrect.
On Monday RMAFC made available its approved wage for senators.
In a statement RMAFC said: “Basic salary of N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650; N42,216:66 for personal assistant; domestic staff – N126,650:00; entertainment – N50,660:00; utilities – N50,660; newspapers/periodicals – N25,330:00; Wardrobe allowance – N42,216,66:00; house maintenance – N8,443.33 and constituency allowance – N422,166:66; respectively.
“For instance, furniture allowance (N6,079,200 million) and severance gratuity (N6,079,200 million) are paid once in every tenure and vehicle allowance (N8,105,600 million) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office.
“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.”
Yesterday’s comment by Senator Sumaila has further deepened the controversy, which has been there since the return to civil rule in 1999.
During one of such controversies in the past, a member of the 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani said he earned N13.5 million as running cost monthly apart from his salary.
That also drew negative reactions from the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Senate spokesman Senator Yemi Adaramodu promised an official reaction to the issue today.
