The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has dissociated itself from the N13.5 million collected by each senator as running cost and N750,000 as salary.
According to the agency, the items were not in the Remuneration Act of 2008, adding that it is only the National Assembly management that can clarify such expenditure.
Senator Shehu Sani, a Kaduna state lawmaker in the National Assembly, had revealed that each senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5 million and a salary of N750,000 monthly.
But in a statement by its Head, Public Relations, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed yesterday, the RMAFC said, the law on salaries and allowances of public office holders is very clear.
“A closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of the following basic-N168,866:70, motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance N126,650:00, Personal Assistant N42,216:66, Domestic Staff-126,650:00, Entertainment-N50,660:00, Utilities-N50,660:00, Newspapers/Periodicals-N25, 330:00,Wardrobe-N42,216,66:00, House Maintenance-N8,443.33:00 and Constituency-N422,166:66 respectively.
“It is instructive to note that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with Basic Salaries while Non-Regular allowances are paid as at when due.
“For instance, Furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00); and Severance Gratuity (N6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure while Motor Vehicle Loan-(N8,105,600:00) is optional which the beneficiary has to offset before leaving office. The payment of running cost is not part of RMAFC mandate, therefore only the NASS can explain it.
“Any other payments enjoyed by any political, or public office holders outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the Commission and the Chief Accounting Officer of the Agencies concerned should explain it,” Mohammed said.
While saying that auditing does not fall within the purview of the agency, the statement added: ”Thus, RMAFC also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any other payments enjoyed by any political, or public office holders outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008 is not known to the Commission and the Chief Accounting Officer of the Agencies concerned should explain it.
“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.”
