Recently, Senator Sumaila Kawu of Kano South Senatorial District has said at a recent interview that he takes home, N21m as salary and allowances monthly. This has caused controversy and raising of eyebrows, by the reading public. Although Senator Yemi Adaramodu refuted the claim and explained things in details, but the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), an agency saddled with the responsibility to among others, fix salaries of public servants also made explanations on the matter, reports Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka.
The issue of the humongous amount being paid to the senators came up from representative of Kano South Senatorial District, at the Nigeria’s 10th Senate, Distinguished Senator Sumaila Kawu at a recent interview with the BBC, Hausa version.
Although prominent among Nigerians who reacted seriously against the pay were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna Central at the 8th Senate, Barr Amobi Nzelu, among others, but the spokesperson of this 10th Senate, Yomi Adaramodu refuted the allegation I’m its entirety.
Although during the interview with the BBC, Kawu revealed that he takes home about N21m monthly, but was quick to add that the official pay of N1 million fixed by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) drops to around N600,000 after deductions. He stated that there are other allowances that elevate their total pay to N21 million per month, adding that the allowances include office running, newspaper money, local travel, etc.
Speaking a day after RMAFC, claimed that each of the 109 senators receives a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month, 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.
But also in his BBC interview, Kawu informed that the amount of salary received per month is less than N1 million, adding that there are cuts, that comes back to about N600,000. In the senate, according to him, each senator is given N21 million every month as the cost of running his office.
Unsatisfied, Senator Sani said that he received N13 million at the 8th Senate, while current members receive N21 million each monthly. Speaking on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics recently, he believed that the RMAFC is being economical with the truth, saying as a former senator who had knowledge of what happened at his time, who also knows what is happening now, he accused RMAFC of playing with figures, adding: “This is the salary of senators and then they went on to give a breakdown of N20 million which they said was what every senator earns in four years. But I think they are being economical with the truth and I think I understand their fears in terms of telling the truth when they know what is actually happening.
“Before this interview, I went through the papers and saw a statement credited to Distinguished Senator Kawu Ismaila, who confirmed what I said about senators, particularly of this set receiving up to N21 million monthly. When I was in the Senate and I was pricked by my conscience as an activist who went to the Senate to unveil what has been made secret for over two decades.
“I believe that taxpayers and Nigerians in general have the right to know how much their legislators are earning and how much they are actually being given. As a serving senator then, I disclose that N13.5 million was being credited into my account.”
Recalled that when he hosted some lawmakers recently in Abeokuta, Obasanjo accused lawmakers of fixing their salaries or allowances, by saying: “You are not supposed to fix your salaries or your allowances; it is supposed to be done by the RMFAC, but you decide what you pay yourselves, the allowances that you give yourselves — newspaper allowances, pant allowances — you give yourself all sorts of things. With due respect, you know it is not right.
“It is not right for me to be the one to declare and determine what I pay myself. It is immoral, and then you are doing it.The senate is doing it, and in some cases, the executive gives you what you are not entitled to. You all got N200 million.”
Also unsatisfied with the way things have been going on was a frontline constitutional lawyer, Barr Amobi Nzelu who wrote a letter to that effect to Senate President Godswil Akpabio, by demanding explanations on the amount alleged to be paying senators under his supervision.
Wondering if the law allows Nigeria’s 10th Senate to fix their salaries and allowances, he said that the chairman, RMFC informed that approved salary and allowances for each senator is N1,065million per month, but was surprise at the disclosure made by Senator Kawu. While calling that whoever approved the salaries and allowances for the legislators, contrary to what was approved by the RMFC be made to face the law, he also informed that salary and allowances of each member of Nigeria’s 10th House of Representatives is N15 million.
Calling for reduction of such humongous amount and effective management of the proceeds, he said that if a senator drops N16 million and takes N5 million, the amount dropped at the salary of N150,000.00 monthly will give 106 graduates employment. As we have three senators in each state, he continued, the cut down of three senators’ salaries will give 318 graduates employment at N150,000.00 monthly per state. He observed with dismay that it costs Nigerian taxpayers about N1 trillion to maintain the 469 federal legislators. He also said that Nigerians would like to know if the National Assembly staff salaries are in line with the approval of RMFC.
The Senate Spokesperson didn’t hesitate to refute the whole claim, by making explanations in details, about the controversial and enormous N21 million monthly salary and allowances said that each senator takes home.
“For the umpteenth time, the Senate is compelled to respond to obsolete allegations of phantom salaries and personal emoluments spuriously credited to senators monthly. The RMFAC has duly disclosed the monthly take-home of each senators.
“However, all arms of government and their personnel: Governors, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, State Commissioners, and even Boards and Parastatals, including Local Government Councils, run their activities with running costs, and the National Assembly is no exception.
“The funds referred to by Kawu are neither his salary nor personal allowance.These funds are allocated for the daily operation of senators’ offices and other statutory officials. They also provide for constituency office staff, oversight functions, and community engagements.These funds are not static; they are provided for in the annual budget and must be retired with proof of genuine expenditure. They are not personal allowances or salaries for legislators. National Assembly receives about 1 percent of the Federal budget and has never exceeded this, even in times of widespread financial constraints. The Nigerian senate is an Assembly of professionals, administrators, and industry leaders, who are motivated by patriotic zeal, not by financial gain,” the senate spokesman, Adaramodu explained in details.