Kano South Senator Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila has revealed that each Nigerian senator receives N21 million monthly as running costs, sparking fresh controversy over the compensation of lawmakers. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, Sumaila disclosed that his actual monthly salary is just under N1 million, which reduces to a little over N600,000 after deductions.
The senator’s admission has reignited discussions on the disparity between lawmakers’ salaries and their substantial allowances. This revelation comes shortly after former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized members of the National Assembly for allegedly violating the law by awarding themselves exorbitant salaries and allowances.
Sumaila’s comments also come on the heels of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s (RMAFC) breakdown, which indicated that a senator’s official monthly salary and allowances total N1,063,860. The RMAFC outlined various components of this pay, including a basic salary of N168,866, vehicle maintenance at N126,650, and constituency allowance of N422,166, among others.
The disparity between the official salary figures and the running costs received by senators has raised questions about transparency and the justification for such allowances, especially given Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
