A recent misleading claim by the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mohammed Shehu, that each Nigerian senator earns N1 million as monthly salary when a senator's actual take-home pay is N21 million as confirmed by Senator Sumaila Kawu and corroborated by former Senator Shehu Sani, is one of the deceptive claims by Nigeria's ruling class to hoodwink the poverty-stricken masses while they plunder the resources of the state, Ejiofor Alike reports
What did the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Shehu, intend to achieve when he told Nigerians and the international community that each of the 109 Nigerian senators receives a total of N1.06million in salary and allowances monthly if not to convey the false impression that the senators do not earn outrageous pay as widely alleged by Nigerians?
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohammed said: "A closer look at the monthly entitlement of senators reveals that each senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860 consisting of basic salary of N168,866.
"Motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance N126,650; personal assistant N42,216, domestic staff, 126,650; entertainment, N50,660, utilities, N50,660; newspapers/periodicals, N25,330; wardrobe, N42,216,66; house maintenance, N8,443.33, and constituency allowance, N422,166."
According to him, it is instructive to note that some allowances are regular, while others are non-regular.
He added that regular allowances were paid with basic salary, while non-regular allowances were paid as at when due.
"For instance, furniture allowance which is N6,079,200, and severance gratuity also N6,079,200, are paid once in every tenure.
"Also, vehicle allowance which is N8,105,600, the payment is optional. It is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office," Mohammed explained.
In what appears as a veiled attack on those who alleged that the federal lawmakers earn jumbo pay, Mohammed added that "any allegation regarding other allowances 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.
"This is to avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading citizens and members of the international community," he added.
With this statement, Mohammed was insinuating that those who alleged that the senators earn outrageous monthly pay are spreading 'misinformation' and 'misrepresentation of facts.'
"The commission considers it most appropriate and necessary to request Nigerians to access the actual details of the present remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria published on its website," he added.
Mohammed's veiled attempt to hoodwink Nigerians with a false claim that each senator goes home monthly with a meagre salary was torn to shreds by the Senator representing Kano South, Sumaila Kawu, who revealed that he earns over N21 million monthly as a total take-home package.
Kawu had in an interview with the BBC, Hausa Service, on Wednesday morning disclosed that his monthly salary is about N1million, but his total take-home was N21million, representing a wide margin from figures quoted by RMFAC.
Kawu said: "The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million, if there are cuts, it comes back to about N600, 0000 and a little something as salary."
He noted that there are usually a few deductions by the RMFAC.
Corroborating Kawu's claim on the monthly earnings of federal lawmakers, Senator Sani on Wednesday reiterated his earlier statement that he received N13 million as a member of the 8th Senate, adding that the current members of the 10th Senate receive N21 million each monthly.
Sani, who spoke on a television programme, insisted that the RMAFC was being economical with the truth.
He said: "I was a Senator and I believe I had correct knowledge about what actually happened at that time and I believe is what is happening now. Well, RMAFC was just playing with figures, they were specific in saying this is the salary of Senators and then they went on to give a breakdown of N20 million which they said was what every senator earned in four years.
"But I think they are being economical with the truth and I think I understand their fears in terms of telling the truth when they know what is actually happening.
"Before I came to this interview I was going through the papers and I saw a statement credited to one of the Senators from Kano, Distinguished Senator Kawu Ismaila, who confirmed what I said about Senators particularly of this set receiving up to N21 million monthly.
"During my time, I was in the Senate and I was pricked by my conscience as an activist who went to the Senate to unveil what has been made secret for over two decades.
"I believe that taxpayers and Nigerians in general have the right to know how much their legislators are earning and how much they have actually been given. I went on as a serving Senator then to disclose what I do receive monthly, what is credited into my account at that time and it was 13.5 million," Senator Sani, who left the Senate in May 2019, explained.
Why did the Chairman of RMAFC want Nigerians and the international community to believe that each senator goes home monthly with a paltry N1 million?
Was he pretending that he was not aware that the members of the National Assembly fixed huge salaries and allowances for themselves outside the ones fixed by his agency?
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The shameful attempt by the Chairman of RMAFC to hide the huge allowances the senators earn with their monthly salaries is part of the deceit of the ruling class, who hoodwink the poverty-stricken masses while they plunder the resources of the state.
The controversy over the amount of money received by federal lawmakers was stirred up last week by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, while receiving in audience, six members of the House of Representatives, who visited him.
During the parley, Obasanjo chided the federal lawmakers for fixing their salaries and emoluments.
Obasanjo said, "In your case, with all due respect, you're not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourself, the allowances that you give yourselves (including) newspaper allowances.
"You give yourselves all sorts of things, and you know it is not right. It is immoral, (yet) you are doing it, the Senate is doing it, and you are beating your chests about it. In some cases, the executive gives you what you're not entitled to. You all got N200 million (each)."
Though the Senate had in a statement last Sunday refuted the claims by Obasanjo stating that they were lies, the allegation of fixing jumbo salaries and allowances have been confirmed by Senators Kawu and Sani, despite the attempt by RMAFC boss to deceive Nigerians.
