The Nigerian Senate in a statement on Thursday signed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Affairs and Senator representing Ekiti South, Yemi Adaramodu, has addressed the claims made by Senator Sumaila Kawu from Kano South, who stated that he earned a total of N21 million per month in salary and allowances.
The Senate stated that this claim was false and maintained that running cost was distinct from the salary and personal allowances of the lawmakers.
However, Kawu went on to accuse former President Olusegun Obasanjo of introducing corruption to the National Assembly.
Kawu stated in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service that his monthly salary was less than N1 million, and after deductions, the figure came down to a little over N600,000. He also claimed that due to an increase in the Senate, each Senator received N21 million every month as running cost.
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Muhammed Bello, had announced on Tuesday that each Senator receives a monthly salary and allowances totaling N1,063,860:00.
Adaramodu emphasized that the running cost is not exclusive to the legislature for the operation of their offices. Furthermore, he explained that the funds are reimbursed by relevant officers after being utilized for official purposes, with proof of genuine expenditure.
“It’s not a personal allowance or salary of the legislator,”Adaramodu said, adding that such funds was also used for Constituency office staff.
The Senate spokesperson strongly opposed the criticism of extravagant spending in the parliament, asserting that the Senate is composed of highly accomplished professionals, administrators, and industry leaders.
Meanwhile, Kawu, who sparked the controversy, disagreed with Obasanjo’s statement that the lawmakers determined their own pay.
“When you are talking about corruption, it is Obasanjo who introduced corruption into the National Assembly,” Senator Kawu opined on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
The head of the Senate Sport Committee reaffirmed his assertions.
“I have proof because it is his government and his associates, who corrupted some members of the National Assembly for them to alter the Constitution for him to continue to contest for a third term as president,” he said on the show.
The remuneration and benefits of legislators have been cloaked in secrecy, sparking intense discussions.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announced that each senator received N1 million, prompting demands for transparency regarding lawmakers’ compensation.
However, Senator Kawu later revealed that each senator actually received N21 million monthly.
Additionally, former senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna Central emphasized the importance of openness in managing parliamentary finances, especially in relation to senators’ salaries and the expenses associated with their offices.
Sani voiced his concerns in an interview with ARISE NEWS, responding to Senator Kawu Sumaila’s recent revelation about the monthly 21 million naira allocation for office expenses for each senator. He also detailed the three payment categories senators receive, including salary, office operation funds, and constituency project finances.
According to him, “Since 1999, one thing that has remained shielded from the public is the allowances, payments, and finances of parliamentarians.
“When I went to the Senate in 2015, I was first on the field as an activist and was one of those calling for the Senate to open its books and the need for transparency and openness for taxpayers, especially to know how much their representatives are earning.”
He further explained that when someone is elected into the parliament, they receive three types of payments: salary, running cost of office, and constituency project funds. However, the funds are not given to them directly but are instead managed by government agencies.
