The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said each Nigerian Senator collects a total monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860 million.
Chairman of the commission Muhammed Bello Shehu made the disclosure yesterday while reacting to the recent controversy surrounding the salaries and allowances payable to federal lawmakers.
RMAFC said the salary and allowances consists of basic salary of N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance N126,650; personal assistant N42,216:66; domestic staff-126,650:00; entertainment-N50,660:00;
Other items, according to RMAFC, are utilities-N50,660; newspapers/periodicals – N25,330:00; Wardrobe – N42,216,66:00; house maintenance – N8,443.33 and constituency allowance – N422,166:66; respectively.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had alleged that the lawmakers determine their monthly salaries and allowances.
A former Senator Shehu Sani had also disclosed that each Senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly N750, 000 prescribed by the commission.
Sani said some allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as at when due. The former Kaduna Central lawmaker said, 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.
Chairman of the commission Muhammed Bello Shehu said; “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”
he stated.
