Senators earn N1,063,860 monthly, not N13.5m — RMAFC

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has dismissed claims that each senator earns N13.5 million monthly. The commission clarified that the actual salary and allowances for a senator stand at N1,063,860 per month.

In a statement released on Tuesday, RMAFC Chairman M. B. Shehu, addressed the controversy sparked by former Senator Shehu Sani’s revelation of the alleged N13.5 million monthly running cost for each senator.

Shehu noted that the commission does not have the authority to enforce compliance with the approved remuneration package for lawmakers but noted that the National Assembly is currently addressing this issue.

The RMAFC provided a detailed breakdown of the components constituting the senators’ monthly earnings, categorising them into regular and non-regular allowances. While regular allowances are paid consistently, non-regular ones like furniture and vehicle allowances are disbursed on specific occasions.

The commission gave the breakdown of the salary and allowances of each senator 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 – ₦42,216,66:00; House Maintenance – ₦8,443.33:00; and Constituency Allowance – ₦422,166:66; respectively.

“Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salary while non-regular allowances are paid as when due.

“For instance, Furniture allowance (₦6,079,200:00) and Severance Gratuity (₦6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and Vehicle allowance (₦8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office,” he added.

The commission also clarified that unlike in the past, most public and legislative officers, except for the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker, are no longer provided with government housing.

This development comes amidst the ongoing debate about the remuneration of lawmakers, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently criticising the practice of senators determining their own salaries.

The Senate has since refuted these claims, insisting that their salaries are determined by the RMAFC in accordance with the constitution.