Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, Nigeria has disclosed that his total monthly take-home package amounts to over N21 million. This revelation contrasts sharply with the recent statement from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which reported that each senator in Nigeria receives a monthly salary and allowances totaling N1.06 million.
RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu had clarified that the official monthly earnings for each senator include a basic salary of N168,866.70 and various allowances such as motor vehicle fueling and maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, newspapers/periodicals, wardrobe, house maintenance, and constituency allowances. “The total comes to N1,063,860,” Shehu said, emphasizing that any claims of additional allowances should be substantiated by those making such allegations.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Hausa Service, Senator Kawu contradicted these figures, stating, “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.” However, he added that his total take-home was around N21 million, a substantial difference from the figures quoted by RMFAC.
The issue of lawmakers’ earnings has been a subject of controversy, especially following comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who criticized federal lawmakers for setting their own salaries and allowances. “You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral,” Obasanjo remarked, addressing the House of Representatives members during a recent meeting in Abeokuta.
