Senator Sumaila Kawu, representing Kano South, has disclosed that his total monthly take-home pay amounts to over N21 million. This revelation comes just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announced that each of the 109 senators in the National Assembly receives a monthly salary and allowances totaling N1.06 million.

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, made this clarification in response to ongoing debates surrounding the actual earnings of Nigerian lawmakers. According to Shehu’s statement, a senator’s annual earnings amount to N12.72 million, leading to a total expenditure of approximately N1.4 billion by the Federal Government for all senators each year.

A detailed breakdown of the monthly earnings shows that senators receive N1,063,860, comprising a basic salary of N168,866.70, motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N126,650, and personal assistant allowance of N42,216.66. Other allowances include N126,650 for domestic staff, N50,660 for entertainment, N50,660 for utilities, N25,330 for newspapers and periodicals, N42,216.66 for wardrobe, N8,443.33 for house maintenance, and N422,166.66 for constituency allowance.

In the official statement, Shehu emphasized, “The commission also wishes to clarify that any claims regarding additional allowances enjoyed by political or public officeholders, beyond those stipulated in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act, 2008, should be substantiated by the individuals making such claims. To prevent misinformation, we encourage Nigerians and other interested parties to consult the detailed remuneration package for political, public, and judicial officeholders available on our website: http://www.rmafc.gov.ng.”

Contradicting the figures released by RMAFC, Senator Kawu, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, revealed that while his official monthly salary is around N1 million, his total take-home pay amounts to N21 million—significantly higher than the figures provided by RMAFC.

Kawu stated, “My monthly salary is less than N1 million, and after deductions, it can drop to about N600,000, with a small additional amount as salary.” He noted that RMAFC typically makes certain deductions.

This disclosure adds to the ongoing debate about the earnings of federal lawmakers, which has intensified over the past week.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, during a meeting with six members of the House of Representatives led by Ikenga Ugochinyere in Abeokuta last week, criticized lawmakers for determining their own salaries and allowances. Obasanjo remarked, “You are not supposed to fix your salaries. But you decide what you pay yourselves, including newspaper allowances. It’s immoral, yet you do it, and you’re proud of it. In some cases, the executive gives you what you’re not entitled to. You all got N200 million each.”

Adding to the controversy, former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani 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.

The Senate recently responded to Obasanjo’s criticism, issuing a statement on Sunday refuting his claims as false.