Controversy over the salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers continues unabated as Kano senator, Sumaila Kawu, said he earns N21 million in monthly allowances
Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP, Kano South), has disclosed that he earns N21 million in allowances every month apart from a monthly salary of about N1 million.
His disclosure contradicts the claim by the Revenie Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commisson (RMAFC) on the actual earnings by members of the national assembly.
Sumaila spoke in a BBC Hausa Service interview on Wednesday. He said: “My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” adding that “given the increase effected, in the senate, each senator gets ₦21 million every month as running cost.”
OrderPaper recalls that members of the House of Representatives, while announcing a 50% pay cut on their salaries last month, admitted to earning N600,000 per month.
Former senator, Shehu Sani, had previously disclosed publicly that each senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly salary of N750,000 prescribed by the RMAFC.
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However, the RMAFC chairman, Muhammed Shehu revealed that each member of the senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860.00. In a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 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 stated that 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. 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 be paid before end of the tenure.
He noted that with the exception of some few political and public office holders such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representative, among others, all public and legislative officers are no longer provided with housing as was the case in the past.
