Unending controversies surround lawmakers’ jumbo pay
The remuneration of Nigerian lawmakers has long been a contentious issue, sparking debates across the country and beyond.
Despite Nigeria’s status as a developing nation grappling with significant socio-economic challenges, its lawmakers have been rated as being among the highest-paid in the world.
This disparity has led to widespread criticism and accusations of insensitivity and corruption, as the gap between the political elite and the average Nigerian continues to widen.
Nigeria operates a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The 469 lawmakers—109 senators and 360 House of Representatives members—are tasked with creating laws, representing their constituencies, and performing oversight functions.
However, over the years, the focus has increasingly shifted from their legislative duties to the massive financial rewards associated with their positions.
The secrecy surrounding the earnings of the lawmakers has continued to fuel public outcry and condemnation.
In the eighth Assembly, the controversy was stirred by Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna Central, who publicly disclosed that each senator collects a monthly running cost of N13.5 million in addition to the monthly N750,000 prescribed by the commission.
The remuneration package for Nigerian lawmakers is composed of several components, including basic salary, constituency allowances, furniture allowances, hardship allowances, and other perks.
The basic salary, while substantial, is only a small fraction of the total package.
The allowances, many of which are seen as unnecessary or inflated, make up the bulk of the earnings.
For instance, lawmakers receive a “wardrobe allowance”, despite already having access to substantial funds for their official duties.
The “hardship allowance” has also been particularly contentious, as many Nigerians question what hardships lawmakers face that justify such compensation.
Additionally, the “constituency allowance”, has often been criticised for lack of transparency and accountability, with little to show for the huge sums allocated.
An analysis of the 2024 budget shows that 109 members of the Senate will receive N8.67bn in salaries and allowances, while 360 members in the House of Representatives receive N24.43bn in salaries and allowances.
A breakdown reveals that the annual basic salary of the President of the Senate is N2.48m each year (about N9.92m in four years), while that of the Deputy President is N2.31m yearly (about N9.24m in four years).
Out of the 19 allowances assigned to the Senate President and his deputy, only five were assigned a specific figure.
The disclosed allowances include constituency allowance (250 per cent of the basic annual salary), duty tour allowance (N50,000 per night), estacode ($1,300 per night), recess (10 per cent of the basic annual salary), and severance gratuity (300 per cent of the basic annual salary).
The allowances of the Senate President will amount to about N33.29m, which includes a N6.21m annual constituency allowance, N248,424.25 annual recess allowance, and N7.45m for severance gratuity, which is paid at the end of the tenure.
The allowances of the Deputy Senate President are expected to cost the nation about N30.94m, which includes N5.77m annual constituency allowance, N230,916.70 annual recess allowance, and N6.93m for severance gratuity.
Other senators receive N2.03m as a basic annual salary (a total of N8.12 million in four years) and a total allowance of N72,137,440 for each of them.
The salaries of the 107 senators will cost N868.3m, while their allowances will cost N7.72bn.
In the section for the salaries and allowances of other senators, out of the 20 allowances mentioned, only 15 were disclosed.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House receives an annual salary of N2.48m (about N9.92 million in four years), while the Deputy Speaker receives N2.29m (about N9.16m in four years).
The allowances of the Speaker are about N18.33m, which includes N2.48 million annually for constituency allowance, N247,711 annual recess allowance, and N7.43 million for severance gratuity.
The allowances of the Deputy Speaker were pegged at about N17.16m, which includes N2.29m annually for constituency allowance, N288,703 for recess, and N6.86m for severance gratuity.
Other members of the House of Representatives receive N1.99m each as a basic annual salary (a total of N7.94m in four years), while each receives N58.76m as an allowance.
The salaries of the 358 House of Representatives members will cost N2.84bn, while their allowances are estimated at N21.04bn.
These extravagant earnings have not gone unnoticed by the public and there has been consistent backlash from various quarters, with many Nigerians expressing outrage at the disparity between the earnings of their elected representatives and the average income of citizens.
Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, chided federal lawmakers for fixing their salaries and emoluments during a meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with six members of the House of Representatives led by Ikenga UgoChinyere.
In response to Obasanjo’s claim, the body responsible for allocating the salaries and allowances of lawmakers, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, openly disclosed that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, clarified that each lawmaker earns N12.72m annually, and the Federal Government spends a total of N1.4bn annually on all senators.
A breakdown of their monthly earnings revealed that each senator collects a monthly salary and allowances totalling N1,063,860, consisting of a basic salary of N168,866.70; motor vehicle fueling and maintenance allowance of N126,650; and personal assistant allowance of N42,216.66.
Other components include domestic staff allowance (N126,650), entertainment allowance (N50,660), utility allowance (N50,660), newspaper/periodical allowance (N25,330), wardrobe allowance (N42,216.66), house maintenance allowance (N8,443.33), and constituency allowance (N422,166.66).
Shehu noted, “The commission also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any allegation regarding other allowance(s) being enjoyed by any political, public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act, 2008, should be explained by the person who made the allegation.
“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.”
Earlier, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, also disclosed that lawmakers in the Green Chamber earn N600,000 as their monthly salaries.
Similarly, the Spokesperson of the House, Rotimi Akin, corroborated the Deputy Speaker while clarifying a statement by House member, Peter Uzokwe, who televised his payslip showing that he earns N936,000, contrary to the N600,000 declared by the House leadership.
He added that the member who displayed his salary on television was an exceptional case because he assumed office through a court decision many months after the onboarding process was concluded.
However, they remained silent on how much their allowances and running costs were.
Yet, Senator Kawu, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service, disclosed that although his monthly salary is about N1m, his total take-home was N21m—a wide margin from figures quoted by RMAFC.
The issue of the amount of money received by federal lawmakers has stirred fresh controversies since last week.
Legislators’ defence and justifications
In response to the criticisms, Nigerian lawmakers have offered various justifications for their pay.
One of the main arguments is that their remuneration is in line with the cost of governance and reflects the demands of their offices.
The National Assembly has also consistently argued that its budget is less than one per cent of the general annual budget.
The Nigerian Senate, while refuting Obasanjo’s N200m claim, described the allegations as an attempt to “crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.”
In a statement, Senate Spokesman Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) emphasised that no Senator has received any financial patronage from the Presidency.
He clarified that the constituency projects often linked to the legislature are merely suggested and nominated by Senators, following practices common in other democracies worldwide.
The Senate stressed that it only receives the salary allocated to it by the RMFAC, in strict accordance with constitutional provisions and challenged anyone with credible evidence to present contrary facts.
Similarly, the Senate disowned Kawu’s N21m monthly allowance running cost.
Adaramodu clarified that running costs are not unique to the legislature and are used for the operation of their offices.
The Senate spokesman further noted that these funds cover expenses for constituency office staff.
Similarly, the House of Representatives also corroborated the defence of the Red Chamber.
Deputy Spokesperson, Philip Agbese, said the 10th House under the leadership of Tajudeen Abbas has been largely accountable to the people and has remained a torchbearer of the parliament.
