RMAFC faults Shehu Sani, says senators get N1m salary monthly

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has refuted recent claims regarding the earnings of Nigerian senators.

A former Senator, Shehu Sani, had claimed that senators receive a monthly running cost of ₦13.5m in addition to a  ₦750,000 salary.

Sani emphasised that RMAFC is constitutionally empowered to determine the salaries and allowances of lawmakers but lacks the authority to enforce compliance.

Also, former  President Olusegun Obasanjo criticised the federal lawmakers for allegedly fixing their salaries, describing the practice as “immoral.”

In response to Obasanjo’s accusations, Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, insisted that the National Assembly only receives the remuneration allocated to it by RMAFC.

However, giving clarification on the take-home of members of the Red Chamber on Tuesday, RMAFC said each of the 109 senators gets a monthly salary of ₦1,063,860.

“This (statement) is in view of the recent statement made by Mr. Shehu Sani, a former Senator of the Federal Republic who was reported to have disclosed to the public that each Senator collects a monthly running cost of ₦13.5m in addition to the monthly ₦750, 000.00 prescribed by the Commission,” RMAFC Chairman, M.B. Shehu noted in a statement released on Tuesday.

He also detailed the senators’ earnings as follows, Basic Salary – ₦168,866.70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance – ₦126,650.00; Personal Assistant – ₦42,216.66; Domestic Staff – ₦126,650.00; Entertainment – ₦50,660.00; Utilities – ₦50,660.00; Newspapers/Periodicals – ₦25,330.00; Wardrobe – ₦42,216.66; House Maintenance – ₦8,443.33, and Constituency Allowance – ₦422,166.66.

He further explained that the senators receive regular allowances which are paid alongside the basic salary, while non-regular allowances, such as Furniture Allowance (₦6,079,200) and Severance Gratuity (₦6,079,200), are paid once per tenure.

He added that vehicle allowance (₦8,105,600) is an optional loan that must be repaid before the lawmaker leaves office.

The RMAFC chair also clarified that, apart from the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives, no public or legislative officers are provided with housing by the government, a benefit that has been discontinued.