The Senate has firmly denied any allegations of allocating new salaries and allowances to its members beyond what is legally prescribed by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).
This commission is the only body legally authorized to determine public officers’ remunerations.
The Senate also dismissed claims of receiving incentives from the presidency, as alleged by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during a meeting with some House of Representatives members in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu emphasized that lawmakers receive only the salaries and allowances determined by RMAFC. “To clarify the situation, the Senate only receives the constitutionally allocated salary as set by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission. We challenge anyone in a position of authority to present any evidence to the contrary,” Adaramodu stated.
Nigerian law, specifically the “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendments) Act, 2008,” governs the salaries and allowances of public office holders but does not cover running costs. Over the years, federal lawmakers have acknowledged receiving running costs for their offices, in addition to their monthly salaries and allowances. Notably, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani once revealed that he and his colleagues received N13.5 million monthly as “running costs,” along with a consolidated salary and allowances of N750,000 per month.
This disclosure sparked controversy, and while RMAFC did not refute the claim, it clarified that only the National Assembly Service Commission could provide details regarding the running costs allocated to senators. In his statement, Adaramodu refrained from discussing the running costs or specifying any figures related to the lawmakers’ allowances.
RMAFC spokesperson Ibrahim Mohammed recently provided a breakdown of the monthly entitlements of each senator, totaling approximately N1 million (N1,063,860). This includes a basic salary of N168,866, motor vehicle fueling and maintenance allowance of N126,650, personal assistant pay of N42,216.66, domestic staff allowance of N126,650, and entertainment expenses of N50,660.
Additional benefits include utilities (N50,660), newspapers/periodicals (N25,330), wardrobe allowance (N42,216.66), house maintenance (N8,443.33), and constituency allowance (N422,166.66).
Adaramodu underscored that the Senate does not have the constitutional authority to set its members’ salaries and allowances beyond what is stipulated in the RMAFC package. “The senators or the National Assembly do not and cannot determine their salaries. Any suggestion to the contrary is uncharitable and malicious. It’s merely an attempt to vilify the legislature by political hypocrites,” he remarked.
