I receive N21m as running cost monthly, says Kano senator

Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano south, says he receives N21 million as “running cost” monthly.

The senator’s comments come days after former President Olusegun Obasanjo accused federal lawmakers of fixing their salaries and allowances, a claim the senate has denied.

Speaking with BBC Hausa, Sumaila, a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, said the salary of a senator is about N1 million.

The senator said after taxes, the total take home amounts to about N600,000.

“The amount of salary received per month is less than N1 million. If there are cuts, it comes back to about N600,000,” he said.

“In the senate, each senator is given N21 million every month as the cost of running his office.”

According to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) the monthly salary and allowances of a senator amounts to N1,063,860.

A breakdown shows that a senator’s basic salary is N168,866, motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650.00; personal assistant pay of N42,216.66; domestic staff is 126,650.00 and entertainment is N50,660.00.

Other benefits include utilities for N50,660.00; newspapers/periodicals N25,330.00; wardrobe allowance at N42,216,66.00; house maintenance for N8,443.33.00 and constituency allowance N422,166.66.

The commission pegged the monthly salary and allowances of a house of representatives member at N794,086.