Kano Lawmaker contradicts RMAFC, reveals monthly take-home pay of N21m

Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, has disclosed that his monthly take-home pay amounts to over N21 million. This revelation comes just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) stated that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber earns a total of N1.06 million per month in salary and allowances. RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, made this clarification in response to ongoing debate about the actual earnings of lawmakers. According to Shehu, the annual salary for each lawmaker totals N12.72 million, leading to a federal expenditure of N1.4 billion annually for all senators. A detailed breakdown of the senators’ monthly earnings shows that each senator receives a salary and allowances totaling N1,063,860. This includes a basic salary of N168,866.70, a motor vehicle fueling and maintenance allowance of N126,650.00, and an allowance for a personal assistant amounting to N42,216.66. Additional allowances cover domestic staff, entertainment, utilities, newspapers/periodicals, wardrobe, house maintenance, and constituency expenses, according to Shehu. Shehu emphasized that any other allowances allegedly enjoyed by political or public office holders outside those provided in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act of 2008 should be explained by the individuals making such claims. He urged Nigerians and other interested parties to verify the current remuneration package for political, public, and judicial office holders on the commission’s official website. However, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Hausa Service on Wednesday morning, Senator Kawu revealed that while his official monthly salary is around N1 million, his total take-home pay is N21 million—a figure that significantly exceeds the amounts quoted by RMAFC. Kawu explained, “The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million. After deductions, it comes down to about six hundred thousand naira and a little more.” The disclosure has reignited public controversy over the earnings of federal lawmakers. Last week, former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized the practice of lawmakers setting their own salaries and allowance, during a meeting with members of the House of Representatives in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Obasanjo described the practice as immoral and called for greater transparency. Additionally, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani had previously revealed that each senator receives a monthly running cost of N13.5 million, in addition to the N750,000 salary prescribed by the commission. In response to Obasanjo’s criticism, the Senate issued a statement on Sunday refuting his claims, labeling them as false.