The Nigerian Senate, on Thursday, debunked reports that lawmakers in the upper chamber of the National Assembly receive ₦21 million naira monthly as salary and allowances.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, made this clarification in a statement in Abuja.

The explanation follows the disclosure by Sumaila, who represents Kano South senatorial district of Kano State in the National Assembly, that Senators get ₦21 million naira monthly each as allowances and running costs.

He made the revelation in a chat with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning.

The disclosure generated fresh controversy over the earnings of Nigerian lawmakers amidst the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that members of the National Assembly, fix bogus salaries and allowances for themselves in contravention of extant laws.

However, Adaramodu said that “running cost” was quite different from the salary and personal allowances of the lawmakers.

He explained that the running costs are not personal to any lawmaker, but used for official purposes such as maintaining lawmakers’ Constituency offices and staff, oversight functions and community engagements.

The Senate spokesperson said the lawmakers do not engage in wasteful spending, explaining that “The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones.”

Adaramodu said the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC) has already clarified and disclosed the monthly salary of lawmakers in the country, and all other figures apart from what the commission declared should be ignored.

“For the umpteen time, the Senate is compelled to react to the obsolete allegations of a phantom salary and personal emoluments spuriously credited to Senators monthly.

“The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission, the agency of government that fixes political officials’ salaries and allowances, has duly disclosed the monthly personal take-home of Senators.

“However, all arms of Government and their personnel, Governors, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, State Commissioners, even Boards and parastatals, including local government councils run their activities with running costs and the National Assembly is not an exemption.

“Thus the money referred to by Senator Kawu Sumaila is neither his salary nor personal allowance.

‘It’s for the daily running of offices by Senators and other attached statutory officials. It equally provides funds for Constituency office staff. It is also for oversight functions and community engagements.

“This funds are not static and it’s provided for in the annual budget. Such funds are retired by relevant officers after being used for official purposes and proof of genuine expenditure.

It’s not a personal allowance or salary of the legislator.

“The National Assembly receives about one per cent of the federal budget and has never exceeded this, even when the non-availability of funds is pervasive.

“The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones,” he said.