In a startling revelation, Senator Sumaila Kawu, who represents Kano South, revealed that he earns over N21 million monthly as his total take-home package.
This announcement comes just a day after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) stated that each of the 109 senators in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, made this disclosure in response to ongoing debates about the actual earnings of lawmakers. According to Shehu, the official monthly earnings of a senator amount to N1,063,860, which includes a basic salary of N168,866.70 and various allowances such as motor vehicle fuelling, personal assistant fees, and domestic staff payments.
Shehu’s breakdown indicates that each senator’s annual earnings would total approximately N12.72 million, with the federal government spending about N1.4 billion annually on all senators combined.
Shehu explained, “The clarification has become imperative 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 monthly running cost of N13.5 M in addition to the monthly N750, 000.00 prescribed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
“First of all, I wish to state that RMAFC does not have constitutional powers to enforce compliance with proper implementation of the Remuneration package. This lacuna is, however, being addressed by the National Assembly.
“However, a closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of the following: Basic Salary- N168,866:70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance N126,650:00; Personal Assistant N42,216:66; Domestic Staff-126,650:00; Entertainment-N50,660:00; Utilities-N50,660:00; Newspapers/Periodicals-N25,330:00; Wardrobe-N42,216,66:00; House Maintenance -N8,443.33:00 and Constituency Allowance- N422,166:66; respectively.
“It is instructive to note that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with Basic Salary while Non-Regular allowances are paid as at when due. For instance, Furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00) and Severance Gratuity (N6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and Vehicle allowance (N8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office”
Despite this official account, Senator Kawu’s statement sharply contrasts with the figures provided by the RMAFC. In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, Kawu stated, “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 pay amounts to a staggering N21 million per month, a figure far exceeding the RMAFC’s claims.
Kawu’s disclosure has intensified the ongoing controversy surrounding the earnings of federal lawmakers in Nigeria. Just last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized lawmakers for allegedly setting their own salaries and allowances. Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a meeting with House of Representatives members led by Ikenga UgoChinyere, Obasanjo condemned the practice, saying, “You’re not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you give yourselves…You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral.”
Adding to the debate, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani previously revealed that each senator receives a monthly running cost of N13.5 million, in addition to the N750,000 salary prescribed by the RMAFC. This aligns more closely with Senator Kawu’s statement than with the official figures from RMAFC, further fueling public skepticism about the transparency of lawmakers’ earnings.
In response to these revelations, the Senate issued a statement on Sunday refuting Obasanjo’s claims, labeling them as lies. However, the conflicting accounts from various sources continue to stir public debate about the true financial benefits enjoyed by Nigeria’s federal lawmakers.
The discrepancy between the RMAFC’s official figures and the amounts disclosed by senators themselves highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the remuneration of public officials. As Nigerians digest these revelations, the pressure on lawmakers to provide clear and honest accounts of their earnings is likely to grow.