By Henry Umoru
ABUJA- CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, NNPP – Kano South has disclosed that he earns N21million in allowances every month apart from monthly salary of about N1million.
This revelation came a few days after former President Olusegun Obasanjo had accused members of the National Assembly of fixing salaries and allowances for themselves in contravention of extant laws.
Senator Sumaila is also coming barely twenty-four hours after the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – a body responsible for fixing salaries and allowances of public servants had revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860.00.
Speaking to the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, Sumaila who disclosed that the monthly salary was fixed by the RMAFC, said, “My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” Senator Sumaila said, adding that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost.”
Recall that the Chairman, Local and Foreign Debt in the 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, Kaduna Central had publicly disclosed that each Senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the RMAFC.
Chairman of RMAFC, Muhammed Bello Shehu, on Tuesday, disclosed the actual salaries and allowances payable to members of the National Assembly, saying that RMAFC– a body responsible for fixing salaries and allowances of public servants on Tuesday, revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860.00
The Commission gave the breakdown of the cumulative take-home pay for lawmakers to include: 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.
Shehu said some “allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with a basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as of when due.
“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.
“A closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of the following: Basic Salary- N168,866:70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance N126,650:00; Personal Assistant N42,216:66; 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; respectively,” the RMAFC chairman said in a statement he signed on Tuesday.”
He noted that except a few political and public office holders such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, among others, all public and legislative officers are no longer provided with housing as was the case in the past.
“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,” he said.
He lamented that RMAFC does not have constitutional powers to enforce compliance with proper implementation of the official remuneration package, a lacuna he said was being addressed by the National Assembly.
RMFAC figures
RMAFC, which fixes salaries and allowances of public servants, revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860, on Tuesday.
The Commission gave the breakdown of the cumulative take-home pay for lawmakers to include:
*Basic salary of N168,866:70
*Motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650.
*Personal assistant, N42,216:66.
*Domestic staff, N126,650.
*Entertainment, N50,660.
*Utilities, N50,660.
*Newspapers/periodicals, N25,330.
*Wardrobe allowance, N42,216,66.
*House maintenance, N8,443.33.
*Constituency allowance, N422,166:66.
Earlier, last Friday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo accused members of the National Assembly of fixing bogus salaries and allowances for themselves in contravention of extant laws.
He spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while playing host to six members of the House of Representatives, led by Ikenga Ugo-Chinyere.
Obasanjo told them: “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. 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.”
Senator Kawu
However, speaking to BBC Hausa Service, Senator 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.” (Vanguard)
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