N21m Monthly pay: Senate finally clarifies on senators' salaries, allowances

• The Senate leadership has denied the revelation of its members that the legislators get N21 million take home on a monthly basis
• Yemi Adaramodu, the spokesperson of the Senate, said what Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila from Kano was getting was a running cost
• According to Adaramodu, the N21 million running cost is different from the N1 million monthly salary of each Senator

The Nigerian Senate has denied the claim by one of its members, Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila from Kano, that the federal lawmakers take home nothing less than N21 million every month as salaries and allowances.

Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, made the denial in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, August 15.

Senate explains N21m monthly pay Photo Credit: @NGRSenate
Source: Twitter

Senate explains N21m monthly take-home

According to Adaramodu, the Kano colleague did not give clarity on how the N21 million monthly pay came into existence, noting that Sumaila receives N21 million monthly as a running cost, which was different from his statutory salary, which is N1 million.

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Senator Adaramodu explained that Senator Sumaila's N21 million is not a personal salary or allowance but rather a "running cost" for official expenses.

Adaramodu emphasized that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) stipulates lawmakers' salaries and allowances, which amount to N1,063,860 per month.

What is running cost?

He further explained that the "running cost" is not unique to the National Assembly and is used to cover official expenses, including maintaining constituency offices and staff. Adaramodu denied allegations of wasteful spending by the Parliament.

Adaramodu described the Nigerian Senate as an assembly of accomplished professionals driven by patriotism, rather than personal financial gain. He reiterated that the Senate is compelled to react to false allegations of excessive salaries and emoluments.

The chairman of RMAFC, Muhammed Bello, had previously disclosed the monthly salary and allowances of Senators, putting to rest the controversy surrounding their earnings. Adaramodu's explanation provides further clarity on the distinction between personal earnings and official expenses.

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Source: Legit.ng