The
legislative aides to the lawmakers also have a budget allocation of N9.7
billion just as N9.5 billion is spent on ‘general service’.
A further breakdown
shows that the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) gets N4.2
billion just as N1.9 billion is spent on the National Assembly Service
Commission. Also, N379 million is spent on service wide votes, N138 million is
for the House Public Accounts committee and N115 million id for the Senate
Public Accounts committee.
The report revealed that ordinarily, a senator is
supposed to earn N2.026 million, while that of a member of the House is N1.985
million judging from the 2009 reviewed remuneration from the Revenue
Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Here is a list of other allowances available to a senator, according to RMAFC: Accommodation – 150 percent of annual basic salary (N3.039m); Furniture – 150 percent of basic salary (N3.039m); Motor vehicle allowance – 250 percent of basic salary (N5.066m); Motor vehicle maintenance – 50 percent of basic salary (N1.013m); Personal assistant – 25 percent of basic salary (N506,600); Domestic staff – 50 percent of basic salary (N1.013m); Entertainment – 20 percent of basic salary (N405,280);
Utilities – 25 percent of basic salary (N202,640); Recess allowance – 10% of basic salary (N202,640); Newspaper/periodicals –10% of basic salary (N202,640); Constituency allowance – 125% of basic salary (N2.533m); Severance gratuity – 300% of basic salary (N6.079m). For the members of the House of Representatives; Accommodation – N2.977m (150%); Furniture – N744,454 (150 percent); Motor vehicle allowance – N4.963 (250 percent); Motor vehicle maintenance – N992,606 (50%); Personal assistant – N496,303 (25%); Domestic staff – N992,606 (50%); Entertainment – N397,042 (20%); Utilities – N198,521 (10%); Recess allowance – N198,521 (10%); Newspaper/periodicals – N198,521 (10%); Constituency allowance, N1.488m (75%); Severance gratuity – N5.955m (300%). While furniture, motor vehicle allowance and severance gratuity are paid once in once in four years, the other allowances are reportedly paid once in a year.
“Yes, they are being paid the
money but it is for the running of their constituency offices including hiring
of staff, furnishing of the office, and travelling among others.
“Each of the
lawmakers is expected to have an office in each of the local government areas
in their respective district. “It is not
free money because it is being recorded for every month.
They retire the money
monthly and this is used as clearance for them to benefit for subsequent
month,” Daily Trust quoted a source as saying while the spokesperson for the
Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, declined comment.
