The debate over the actual take-home pay of federal lawmakers continues amidst the nation’s economic challenges and the opaque nature of their monthly compensation. New information has been surfacing in this context.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently disclosed that National Assembly members are setting their own inflated salaries and allowances, which he claims violates existing laws.
In response to this controversy, Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, a member of the 10th Senate representing Kano South on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) platform, stated that he receives a total of N21 million per month in salary and allowances. Speaking with BBC Hausa Service, Sumaila indicated that his official salary is under N1 million, which, after deductions, is just over N600,000. However, he added that each senator gets N21 million monthly for operational costs.
This claim contradicts the position of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which reported that each senator’s total monthly salary and allowances amount to N1,063,860. The RMAFC’s breakdown includes a basic salary of N168,866.70, various allowances for vehicle maintenance, personal assistants, domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, and other expenses.
RMAFC Chairman Muhammed Bello Shehu responded to the ongoing controversy, clarifying that some allowances are regular and others are non-regular. For example, furniture and severance allowances are paid once per tenure, and vehicle allowance is a loan that must be repaid. He stressed that only a few high-ranking officials receive housing benefits, and all other public and legislative officers do not.
Shehu urged anyone with allegations of additional unlisted allowances to provide evidence. He also advised interested parties to consult RMAFC’s website for accurate information about the remuneration package for political, public, and judicial office holders in Nigeria.
Despite these clarifications, many Nigerians suspect that lawmakers are exploiting legal gaps to increase their earnings, supporting Obasanjo’s claims.