The revelations regarding the salaries scandal at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria came to a climax on Wednesday with a statement pushing on management of National Assembly the responsibility for clarifications as to how salaries and allowances of Senators jumped to N13.5 million as against the normal N1.06 million known to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
It would be recalled that all efforts to get the leadership of National Assembly, who had been on the jugular of the executive disguising that they were carrying out their constitutional responsibility of checks and balancing, to disclose details of his budget suffered setback until they were able to make something available but insisted details of their salaries would not be disclosed.
Recall also that the same legislature had been fingered in the many frustrations that the Muhammadu Buhari Administration has suffered in the prosecution of its anti-corruption war as many of the Bills to strength the President to achieve quick success in fighting corruption that is one of the three cores of his government have continued to be kept under carpet by the National Assembly. Rather, the Bukola Saraki-led Senate had waged serious wars insisting that Ibrahim Mustapha Magu Hameed Alli must be removed as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs, respectively.
The two men are the major actors in advancing the course of the Administration against corruption in Nigeria but leadership of National Assembly do not want them yet they have been unable to successfully provide cogent reasons for the President to agree with them to remove those agencies’ heads.
With Shehu Sani’s revelation recently that Senators among whom he is one earn monthly N13.5 million individually, many tongues have wagged as to interpret the situation as reason the leadership of NASS wanted at all course to be given immunity against being checked and failed persistently to be counted among those who would support the Executive to succeed in its anti-corruption drive.
Clearing itself of the salaries scandal at the Senate, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said the total monthly entitlement of each Senator still stands at N1.06 million.
RMAFC in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, on Wednesday, pointed out that the clarification became imperative, in view of the recent revelation by Senator Shehu Sani that each Senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5 million, in addition to the monthly salary of N750,000.
The statement read: “A closer look at the monthly entitlement of senators reveals that each senator collects salary and allowances of N1,063,860:00, consisting of the following: Basic, N168,866:70; motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance, N126,650; Personal Assistant, N42,216:66; domestic staff, N126,650:00; entertainment, N50,660; utilities, N50,660; newspapers/periodicals, N25,330; wardrobe, N42,216; house maintenance, N8,443 and constituency, N422,166:66.
“It is instructive to note that some allowances are regular, while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with basic salaries, 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, while motor vehicle loan-(N8,105,600:00) is optional, which the beneficiary has to offset before leaving office.”
The commission insisted that the payment of running cost was not part of RMAFC mandate, adding that it was only the NASS that could explain that.
“RMAFC also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any other payments enjoyed by any political or public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the commission and the Chief Accounting Officer of the agencies concerned should explain it.”
“To avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading citizens and members of the international community, the commission considers it most appropriate and necessary to request Nigerians and any other interested party to avail themselves of the opportunity to access the actual details of the present remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria published on its website: www.rmafc.gov.ng.”
