Much Ado About Federal Lawmakers’ Monthly Earnings

The refusal of the management of the National Assembly to publish the annual budget of the nation’s parliament has consistently left Nigerians in the dark over the allowances being paid to the federal lawmakers on monthly basis. This lack of transparency has also constantly made any legislator that dare to reveal his pay, a target of attack by colleagues. Sunday Aborisade reports.

A member of the National Assembly representing the Kano South Senatorial District, Sumaila Kawu, courted the anger of his colleagues last week when he revealed that he earns over N21 million as salaries and allowances monthly.

His disclosure came a day after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) revealed that each of the Nigerian senators receives a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month.

RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, was reacting to recent controversies over the exact amount each lawmaker earns per month, which has over the years been shrouded in secrecy.

The RMFAC boss further clarified that each federal lawmaker earns N12.72m in 12 months and that 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 said, “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, Kawu, the Kano South Senator,  in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation,  last Wednesday, disclosed that although his monthly salary is about N1m, his total take-home pay was N21m, a wide margin from figures quoted by RMFAC.

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.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who was president between 1999 and 2007, had penultimate 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).”

The Senate, had however, in a statement last week refuted the claims by Obasanjo stating that they were lies.

The red chamber also issued a strong denial of allegations suggesting that it is involved in determining its own salaries or receiving special fiscal packages from the Presidency.

In a statement released by Senate Spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South, the Senate described the allegations as an attempt to “crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.”

Adaramodu emphasized that no Senator has received any financial patronage from the Presidency. He clarified that the constituency projects often linked to the legislature are merely suggested and nominated by Senators, following practices common in other democracies worldwide.

To set the record straight, the Senate stressed that it only receives the salary allocated to it by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission, in strict accordance with constitutional provisions.

The Red Chamber challenged anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts, describing any suggestion that the National Assembly fixes its own salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”

The Senate further explained that “the Executive arm of government, through its various ministries and agencies, is responsible for awarding contracts for the constituency projects.”

The statement read in part: “The funds allocated for these projects, vary depending on the number of constituencies in each state and the intention is to ensure that every region of Nigeria benefits from federal resources.

“As the country enters what some describe as a season of political pontificating, the 10th Assembly remains a responsible and responsive chamber.”

It reaffirmed its commitments to upholding the economy and growth of Nigeria, insisting that it only receives what is constitutionally allocated to it and would never seek additional perks from other branches of government.

THISDAY checks, however, revealed that the idea of lawmakers determining their running costs actually started some time in 2007 when the multi billion naira votes meant for the healthcare and other allowances which individual lawmaker, upon request during emergency, enjoyed were collapsed into a single account managed by the Chairman of Senate or House of Representatives Services Committee.

The idea was meant to ensure stability for the presiding officers as there were allegations in the past that the fund was sometimes disbursed to cronies of either the Senate President or Speaker of the House.

A principal officer in the 6th Assembly who craved anonymity told our correspondent last weekend that relative peace was restored when  the fund was collapsed for equal distribution to the lawmakers.

The source said, “It was when the practice of sharing the medical and others allowances from a single pool that stability was achieved in both chambers. The funds known as running costs differs from one assembly to another. I learnt it has risen to about N21m per month now. It is not part of our salary. We have responsibilities, obligations and commitments to our constituents which would be extremely difficult to meet without running costs,” he added.

Last week, the senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019, Shehu Sani, maintained that he received N13 million every month as a member of the 8th Senate, while each of the current members of the 10th Senate receive N21 million monthly.

He had sometime in 2019 publicly disclosed that each Senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5m in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the commission.

The former lawmaker said he does not believe there is any need for lawmakers to deceive Nigerians or cover up anything.

Sani, who spoke while featuring on a TV programme last Wednesday, insisted that the RMAFC is being economical with the truth.

He said, “I was a Senator and I believe I had correct knowledge about what actually happened at that time and I believe is what is happening now. Well, RMAFC was just playing with figures, they were specific in saying 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 earn 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 I came to this interview I was going through the papers and I saw a statement credited to one of the Senators from Kano, Kawu Ismaila, who confirmed what I said about Senators particularly of this set receiving up to N21 million monthly.

“During my time, 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. I went on as a serving Senator then to disclose what I do receive monthly, what is credited into my account at that time and it was N13.5 million.”

The former lawmaker said he does not believe there is any need to deceive Nigerians or cover up anything adding that since legislators receive public money, it is necessary for those involved to come out and say it as it is like he did.

Apart from Shehu Sani, Hons Muhammad Sani Zoro and Sergius Ogun had also recently quoted different figures as emoluments of lawmakers, and also challenged those who are serving in the 10th National Assembly to make public what they earn.

Ogun, who represented Esan North-East/Esan South-East Constituency from 2015 to 2023, had disclosed last week that each member of the House of Representatives received N8.5 million monthly as running costs while he was in the parliament.

Zorro, who  represented Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/Gagarawa Federal Constituency of Jigawa State in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019, however, challenged those currently serving to make public their entitlements.

Meanwhile, some civil society organisations (CSOs) and analysts had raised concerns over the jumbo pay of the federal legislators amidst the hardship in the land.

For instance, the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Adetokunbo Mumuni, argued that Nigeria operates one of the world’s most expensive democracies without corresponding results.

According to him, “We cannot compare ourselves with any other nations in terms of the expenses incurred, whether annually or monthly. Legislators, especially senators, must reassess their earnings in line with the realities of the Nigerian nation.

“This situation needs urgent attention to prevent leaving future generations of Nigerians in a dire financial mess”.

Similarly, Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, Mark Amaza, said even after 25 years of democratic governance, Nigerians still lacked clarity on the earnings of their federal legislators.

On his part, Executive Director, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said the revelation by Kawu reinforced the need to reduce the cost of governance.

He said it was “unfortunate” that those entrusted with managing the nation’s resources appear indifferent to the needs of the people they represent.

His words: “At a time when the majority of Nigerians are suffering from multi-dimensional poverty and severe hunger, it is disheartening to learn that such vast amounts are being spent on just 109 Senators while millions lack basic amenities like roads, electricity, and water.

“Something drastic must be done to address social inequality in this country, starting with a significant reduction in the funds allocated to the lavish lifestyles of our political officeholders”.

Some Nigerians are already anticipating a possible sanction against Kawu but close watchers of the activities of the federal Parliament had also argued the Kano Senator has done nothing wrong.

It will be recalled that spokesperson for the 9th Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, had exonerated Shehu Sani, over his statement on the salaries and funds for running of offices of senators.

Abdullahi said Sani did not disclose anything new as the figure he gave out about running cost of the offices of senators were contained in various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly, which has been made public.

Abdullahi then dismissed any insinuations that Sani’s colleagues were unhappy with him and said if people had looked critically at the budget of the National Assembly, they would have seen that various line items like traveling, medicals, consultancy and the rest were captured in the budget and they were the funds divided for each senator’s use.

“Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries,” Abdullahi had stated.

Nigerians are, however, of the opinion that the non disclosure of National Assembly budget details was attracting negative public reactions to the federal parliament.