Bogus Pay: Senate Mum Over Senator Kawu’s Disclosure

The Senate yesterday was silent on the disclosure made by the senator representing Kano South senatorial district, Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, that he earns a cumulative N21 million monthly in salary and allowances, contrary to the N1 million stated by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

As of press time, calls and text messages to the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, regarding Kawu’s claim had not been replied to.

Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, said Kawu’s disclosure has vindicated him.

Recall that Sani, in 2018, had said he received N13.5 million as running costs monthly, almost 13 times their actual total salaries, a claim that RMAFC countered in its recent statement.

But reacting yesterday, Sani on his X handle, said, “Yesterday, the RMFAC refuted my statement, but I’m now vindicated by Senator Kawu Sumaila who confirmed that the monthly alert is N21million and not N1million.RMFAC make una mind yourself.”

Barely hours after Obasanjo accused the lawmakers of wrongfully fixing salaries and special allowances for themselves, the Senate challenged Obasanjo to provide evidence of claims that lawmakers determine their salaries and receive special packages.

However, the RMAFC said on Tuesday that each Nigerian Senator collects a total monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860 million.

On Wednesday, Senator Kawu said that while his salary is below one  million naira monthly, he gets N21 million in allowances.

Kawu, a member of the 10th Senate and Senator representing Kano South senatorial district of Kano State on the platform of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), revealed that he earns a cumulative N21 million monthly in salary and allowances.

The lawmaker, in a chat with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, monitored by our correspondent, however, claimed that the official pay package was fixed by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – the body empowered by law to fix salaries and allowances of political office-holders.

“My monthly salary is less than N1million. After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” Senator Sumaila said.

He, however, added that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost.”

LEADERSHIP reports that RMAFC, on Tuesday, revealed that each member of the Senate collects a total monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860.

The breakdown of the cumulative take-home pay, according to the commission, include; basic salary of N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650; N42,216:66 for personal assistant; domestic staff – N126,650:00; entertainment – N50,660:00; utilities – N50,660; newspapers/periodicals – N25,330:00; Wardrobe allowance – N42,216,66:00; house maintenance – N8,443.33 and constituency allowance – N422,166:66; respectively.