I receive 21-million monthly: Kano lawmaker opens up

Senator Sumaila Kawu, who represents Kano South, has revealed that he earns over N21m monthly. This news comes just a day after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission said that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber gets a total of N1.06m in salary and allowances per month. RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu offered this clarification in response to recent controversies over the amount each lawmaker earns monthly. Shehu's disclosure states that each lawmaker earns N12.72m in 12 months, and the Federal Government spends a total of N1.4bn annually on all senators. A breakdown of their monthly earnings showed that each Senator gets a monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860. This includes a basic salary of N168,866:70, a motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650:00, and a personal assistant allowance of N42,216:66. Other expenses include domestic staff, 126,650:00; entertainment, N50,660:00; utilities, N50,660:00; newspapers/periodicals, N25,33 Wardrobe, N42,216.66; house maintenance, N8,443.33; and constituency allowance, N422,166.66. Shehu also wanted to use this chance to say that if anyone thinks they're getting extra money for anything else, they should explain why. "To avoid confusion and misinformation, the commission requests that Nigerians and other interested parties access the actual details of the present remuneration package for political, public, and judicial office holders in Nigeria on its website: www.rmafc.gov.ng." However, Senator Kawu revealed in an interview with British Broadcasting Hausa Service on Wednesday morning that although his monthly salary is about N1m, his total take-home was N21m, which is quite a bit more than the figures quoted by RMFAC. Kawu said, "My monthly salary is less than N1m. If there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary." He mentioned that RMFAC typically makes a few deductions. The amount of money federal lawmakers receive has been debated since last week. Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who served from 1999 to 2007, had a meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Friday with six members of the House of Representatives, led by Ikenga UgoChinyere, who visited him. During the meeting, Obasanjo criticized federal lawmakers for adjusting their salaries and benefits. During the meeting, Obasanjo said, "In your case, with all due respect, you shouldn't be setting your salary." But you get to decide what you pay yourself, including newspaper allowances. "You give yourselves all kinds of perks, and you know it's wrong. It's not right, and yet you're doing it. The Senate is doing it, too, and you're complaining about it. Sometimes, the executive gives you what you don't deserve. "You all got N200 million each." Also, Shehu Sani, who used to be a Senator for Kaduna Central, has publicly said that each Senator gets a monthly running cost of N13.5m on top of the N750,000 that the commission says they should get. As you may recall, the Senate on Sunday stated that it would refute Obasanjo's claims, calling them "lies."