Politics

Senator Sumaila Kawu Claims Monthly Earnings Exceed N21 Million, Contradicting Official Figures

Written by Jerry Alomatu on August 14, 2024

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Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, has disclosed that his total monthly earnings surpass N21 million. This announcement comes shortly after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) reported that each of the 109 Nigerian senators receives N1.06 million monthly in salary and allowances.

RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, clarified these figures in response to recent debates about senators’ compensation. According to Shehu, this means that each senator earns approximately N12.72 million annually, totaling an annual expenditure of N1.4 billion for all senators combined.

Shehu provided a detailed breakdown of the official monthly earnings for senators: a basic salary of N168,866.70, motor vehicle allowance of N126,650.00, and personal assistant allowance of N42,216.66, among others. The total monthly package includes allowances for domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, newspapers, wardrobe, and constituency work.

In his statement, Shehu emphasized that any additional allowances or benefits not specified in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act of 2008 should be clarified by those making such claims. The RMAFC has invited the public to review the full remuneration details on their official website to prevent misinformation.

Despite this, Senator Kawu, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Hausa Service, contradicted these figures, stating that while his official salary is around N1 million, his total monthly take-home pay is significantly higher, at about N21 million. He mentioned that his official salary after deductions is less than N1 million, though he did not elaborate on the sources of the additional income.

“The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1m, if there are cuts, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary, ” Kawu remarked

The discrepancy has reignited debates about lawmakers’ salaries. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently criticized federal legislators for setting their own salaries and allowances, describing it as immoral and excessive. Obasanjo’s remarks came during a meeting with members of the House of Representatives, where he also alleged that each legislator received an additional N200 million.

In response, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani had previously claimed that senators receive a monthly running cost of N13.5 million, in addition to the N750,000 officially prescribed by the RMAFC.

The Senate has refuted these allegations, calling them false and misleading.