Past News
The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has reviewed downward some allowances of political office holders including those in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms, in a move which reflects the effects of the global economic meltdown in the country.
However, the agency is still sustaining the old salaries, which are used for the computation of percentages for the allowances.
In the new package, the Senate President would be receiving a total sum of N3,353,727.38 per annum, his monthly take home pay is N279, 477.28; the Speaker of the House of Representatives’ annual total package is N2,105,543.50, which translates to N175,461.96 per month.
However local government councilors are the worst hit in the new packages.
The figures are contained in an analysis of the percentages of the deduction in the August 2009 edition of the Economic Confidential, the economic intelligence publication, under a report titled, “Facts and Figures: Salaries and Allowances of Legislators in Nigeria”.
According to the report, the Deputy Senate President now receives N3,117,375.10, which translates to N259,781.26 monthly, while the Deputy Speaker receives N1,722,440 annually but translates to N143,536.67 per month.
These four principal officers’ pays do not include allowances, which the Federal Government would provide for them directly from the national treasury. The government is to take responsibility for their accommodation, vehicle fuelling and maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities (for electricity and phone calls) and newspapers.
The Economic Confidential also computes the total monthly pays for other legislators. A Senator now receives N759,900, while a member of the House of Representatives will earn N661,737.50 monthly.
At the state Houses of Assembly level, the Speaker now receives N170,820.31 monthly, Deputy Speaker N150,623.18, while a member of the assembly goes home with N120,907.39 monthly.
The major casualty of the new pay packages are the legislators at the local government level, known as councilors whose allowances have been reduced drastically by more than 300 per cent presently.
The Leader of the legislative chamber in a local government will now receive N152,118.75 monthly, his deputy N147,825.00, while a councilor now goes home monthly with N88,675.53; without provision for some of the old perks.
Most of the old entitlements councilors enjoyed in the previous packages have been cancelled or not to be provided by government. They include allowances for vehicles, personal assistant, domestic staff, utility, leave responsibility, legislative aide and even newspapers.