We Don’t Earn The Same Amount, Our Pay Depends On Committee, Loyalty — Lawmaker Reveals

The recent disclosure by the lawmaker representing Kano South Senatorial District, Senator Sumaila Kawu that he earns over N21m monthly as a total take-home package, has continued to generate controversy.

Reacting to the statement, a lawmaker from the North Central geo-political zone who pleaded not to be named told our correspondent that the take-home package of the members of the 10th Senate are not the same.

“Well, if Senator (Sumaila) Kawu says he is earning over N21million as a total take-home package, I cannot dispute him on that. Our salaries are not the same. It varies especially under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio. Some people are earning more than others—especially those that are deemed to be loyal to the leadership of the senate.

“Those who didn’t support the senate president are not earning close to his loyalists. Again, those chairing juicy committees earn more than those not in juicy committees. So, it is difficult to say this is what this person takes home or not, because they are the same. Some people earn far more than I do,” the lawmaker said.

Background

It would be recalled that the lawmaker representing Kano South, Senator Sumaila Kawu, revealed that he earns over N21m monthly as a total take-home package.

This revelation is coming barely 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission said that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month.

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, said this as a form of clarification in response to recent controversies over the real amount each lawmaker earns per month.

Based on Shehu’s disclosure, it would mean each lawmaker earns N12.72m in 12 months and the Federal Government makes a total expenditure of N1.4bn 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 in the statement noted, “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.”

However, Senator Kawu in an interview with British Broadcasting Hausa Service, on Wednesday morning disclosed that although his monthly salary is about N1m, but his total take-home was N21m, a wide margin from figures quoted by RMFAC.

RMAFC faults Shehu Sani, says senators get N1m salary monthly
Kawu said, “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1m, if there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.”

He noted that there are usually a few deductions by the RMFAC.

The issue of the amount of money received by federal lawmakers stirred up fresh controversies since last week.

Last week, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who was president between 1999 and 2007, had Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital while receiving in audience, six members of the House of Representatives, led by Ikenga UgoChinyere who visited him, chided the federal lawmakers for fixing their salaries and emoluments.

During the parley, Obasanjo said, “In your case, with all due respect, you’re not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you give yourselves (including) newspaper allowances.

“You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral, (yet) you are doing it, the Senate is doing it, and you are beating your chests about it. In some cases, the executive gives you what you’re not entitled to. You all got N200 million (each).”

Also, a former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, had once publicly disclosed that each Senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5m in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the commission.

It would be recalled that the Senate in a Statement on Sunday refuted the claims by Obasanjo stating that they were lies.