Tuesday, February 9, 2010 17:02

Senate President David Mark and House of Reps Speaker Dimeji Bankole, commission cuts members' pay. Photo: NAN

Putting a knife through lawmakers' allowances

By Festus Owete, Bassey Udo and Emmanuel Ogala

We will spend about N10 billion to maintain the 469 members of our National Assembly in the next 24 months.

And that's only because they have just agreed to reduce their allowances from the N13billion that they have received over the past two years.

The reviewed pay structure was recommended by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) after a review of the salary of public officials.

The N10 billion includes the annual basic salaries and regular allowances for the lawmakers; but figures for the non-regular allowances are not provided for in the new package, except that for duty tour allowances and estacode.

President Umaru Yar'Adua had, in February, directed the commission to review the pay structure of all political and public office holders in the country, citing the economic meltdown as the reason.

But the commission, in its report concluded in June, only adjusted the allowances of the officers but retained their basic salaries.

Barring any further review, the present crop of political and public office holders will be paid the new allowances and salaries until May 2011 when the tenure of a new government begins.

All manner of allowances

According to the new salary/allowances regime, the 107 out of the 109 senators (excluding the Senate President and Deputy Senate President) will draw regular allowances totalling N975.626 per annum million, while 358 out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives (excluding the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) will take allowances totalling N2.845 billion.

Each senator will now receive N9.118 million per annum, as against N15.299 million before the review. If multiplied by the two years that they are going to be in office, each senator will be taking N18.236 million. If further added to each basic annual salary of N4.06 million for two years (N2.026 per year), a senator's total pay will come to N22.29 million.

Each member of the House will now receive N7.940 million per annum, as against N13.003 per annum, prior to the review. If multiplied by two years, each of them will go with N15.880 million in the period they will be in the parliament.

If the figure is added to their annual salary of N3.960 million (N1.985 million annually) , the total package for each of the representatives comes to N19.840 million.

These other allowances, numbering 23, include accommodation, motor vehicles maintenance, personal assistant, domestic staff, utility, recess, entertainment, special assistant, personal assistant, leave, newspapers/periodicals. They have all been monetized. No amount is written against the following allowances - medical, special assistant, hardship, entertainment, security, and constituency. They are provided for in percentages. However, there are non-regular allowances for furniture, motor vehicle loans, severance gratuity, duty tour allowances and Estacode.

The Senate President takes a total package of N3.353 million annually as allowances and this comes to N6.706 million for the two years.

When added to his annual basic salary of N2.484 million, his total package comes to N12.684 million.

The deputy senate president whose annual basic salary is N2.309 million, will take allowances totalling N3.117 million, annually and when multiplied by two years, it comes to N6.234 million. When the allowances are added to his basic salary, it becomes N10.952 million.

The Speaker, on his part will take a total allowances of N2.105 million, annually as against N3.063 million before the review and when multiplied by two years, it becomes N4.210. If added to the basic annual salary of N4.954 million for two years, the Speaker's total pay for the next two years comes to N9.164 million.

The deputy speaker takes a total allowance of N1.722 million as against the former N3.242 million and when multiplied by two years,

it comes to N3.444 million. If added to his basic salary of N4.052 million (N2.026 annually), the total comes to N7.496 million.

However, the four presiding officers, namely, the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not entitled to accommodation and furniture allowances as well as motor vehicle loans. The Federal Government provides these for them. They are also entitled to security votes and robe allowance unlike the ordinary senators and representatives.

The non-regular allowances of each member of the National Assembly reportedly comes to between N30 million and N35 million monthly.

Trail of Controversy

Meanwhile, it is not clear if the implementation of the new allowance regime has begun since the commission finished its work in June.

Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang told NEXT last Thursday in a telephone chat that the House had not received the reviewed allowances. The committee is the custodian of all bills and motions introduced to the House. However, the RMAFC denied that claim. Theodora Onyebuchi, the spokesperson of the commission said that the document is with the federal legislature. Mrs Onyebuchi said she personally delivered the reviewed structure, including that of the executive to the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly.

Unlike the salaries and allowances of the officers in the executive and judicial arms at the three tiers of government, the federal lawmakers do not openly debate their remunerations. Their package is merely sent to them through the Presidency as a formality, since they are consulted by the RMAFC at the level of preparation.

Powers to fix

Section 32 (d) of Part One of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution empowers the RMAFC to determine the salaries and allowances of the political office holders.

It says that the commission shall "determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders including the President,

Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, legislators and the holders of the office mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of this constitution." Section 32 (e) says that the commission shall discharge such other functions as are conferred on the commission by this constitution or any Act of the National Assembly." Sections 70 and 111 are some other relevant sections that empower the RMAFC to prepare the salary package.

In carrying out this constitutional mandate, the commission considers the following factors: (a) changes in the basic fundamentals of the Nigerian economy (b) external reserves (c) GDP growth rate (d) rate of inflation (e) correct placement of some categories of office holders that are wrongly placed in the old package (f) need to modify old salaries and allowances, and introduce new allowances that were not included in the old package (g) need for a living wage to ensure honesty and dignity of the office holders and (h) need to ensure compliance with the provision of Section 84 (3) and 124 (3) of the constitution.

Presidential directive

Mr Yar'Adua had on February 10, written the RMAFC directing it to review the 2008 Amendment Act, which spelt out the salaries and allowances of the political/public office holders, in view of the impact of the global economic crisis and financial meltdown on the Nigerian economy, particularly the dwindling government revenue.

He said: "I have observed that like other nations, our country has suddenly found itself a victim of the current global financial meltdown and unprecedented economic crises. A critical evaluation of the impact of our domestic economy shows that declining oil sales and shrinking foreign direct investment flows are twin threats to the country's ambition development programmes. This can only be mitigated through a responsive review of recurrent costs to maintain the current momentum of development.

"Accordingly, in my opinion, it would be practically impossible and unrealistic for us to continue to implement the current provisions of the said Act. Indeed, it would amount to insensitivity on our part to continue to implement the Act under the circumstances. Certainly, there is need for the Commission to review such remunerations downwards to align them with the realities on the ground."

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Reader Comments (24)

Posted by TATA on Oct 25 2009

ee bee aass eee getttt..oo

Posted by Tosin 03 on Oct 25 2009

Shiooo(hissing). Million dis! Million dat! And d masses r starving... Shamless fellows!

Posted by ATAT on Oct 25 2009

AND E GET AS E BE.

Posted by future on Oct 25 2009

This guys are all common crooks, they still have several ways of looting. 99.99% of them have companies that they use to get inflated contracts from govt ministries they are supervising. Bet me, they will travel alot and collect all forms of travel allowances to make up. To me these guys need to be flush out of circulation b4 any reform either political or economical can work.

Posted by Adekunle Tuyo on Oct 25 2009

This further explains why we dont have enough money to fix the Federal roads. A further and more drastic cut is urgently needed. The salaries and allowances are both immoral and scandalous in a country where hunger is rife.

Posted by Mr. DoGOOD on Oct 25 2009

Who is fooling who? I is common knowlegde that what the are giving up with the right hand, they will collect over ten times with the left. Our democracy is threatened by these fellows who have become leeches on our resources and collective patrimony. One day, monkey go go market and e no go return.

Posted by Kase on Oct 25 2009

Since RMAFC has the powers to fix remuneration, I blame it for the 'lootmakers' in Abuja. The primary focus of many aspirants now is to be part of the revelry and the plundering going on in Abuja. As far as I know, being a lawmaker is the highest paying job in Nigeria now. The only snag is that you do not need any special qualification other than being a jackass of a spent politician or a former looter. Check the background of most of them and prove me wrong. Anyone who gets there on merit either does not last or is shoved aside in four years because bandits plunder, they dont serve!

Posted by Beauty on Oct 25 2009

Politicians everywhere can now be written off as being in politics for themselves. The good news is simply that everywhere else, the worst of the lot face justice. However, in Nigeria, N3bn cut is just business as usual. 469 low achieving (in terms of legislative calendar) egg heads continue to help themselves to the loot. Long may they enjoy until a revolution which will transform the country from a backward society into a major world power.

Posted by comic on Oct 25 2009

I agree with you 100%

Posted by saydura on Oct 25 2009

The entire allowances for the lawmakers is too much in a country like Nigeria. We do not need full-time lawmakers, they should be paid on the number of sittings in a year. All of them must have their full-time jobs elsewhere - by this the money saved can be use to create employment for the youths. When we have partimers in the assembly, this will not interest the crooks anylonger as they know everyone will only be paid on the number of times they show their faces. only the president, vice and ministers will work full-time and the number of personal assistants reduced drastically throughout the federation. We now need a big cost-cutting exercise which I will do for free when call upon.

Posted by mr Timothy Udoh on Oct 25 2009

Reduce the salaries and allowances of all political office holders by more than half. Then put up systems to stem corruption. When that is done we now wait and see how many of them will remain in those offices. How can mere politicians earn so much than Teachers, Doctors and other health professionals, police and other security officials, scientist etc etc.

Posted by Anopheles on Oct 25 2009

Ha! These are obscene salaries and allowances even after the review by the commission. But we know that evil money begets supernatural evil consequences. It is the law of nature.

Posted by Stanley on Oct 25 2009

doubt they will accept it, beside the cuts are simply cosmetics.notin really changes. i'm sure they will get back what they have given up thru the back door. its all publicity stunt.

Posted by JEFF on Oct 25 2009

which one una nigerians want self. the pipol added to thier earnings una shout. now they reduce una still shout. na wa o. we all aggree say them currupt. but well they reduced thier earnings , thats something. or what do u think?

Posted by Alex Ayodeji on Oct 25 2009

I think their pay should be performance related. At the moment, it takes almost a year to pass a federal budget, not to talk of it's implementation. Maybe if they know that, by not performing certain responsibilties within reasonable time their pay would be delayed (the same way millions of pensioners don't get their pensions on time because these clowns are always footdragging on passing the budget), they might just wake up to some of their duties. It's not only on our streets that we have area boys, Abuja too is full of political area boys just extorting and milking public funds for doing little or nothing.

Posted by Oye on Oct 25 2009

Every country gets the kind of government it deserves! Look in the mirror people and be honest with yourselves. You will be looking at the kind of leaders that we have. As long as most of us a waiting for our turns to loot the treasury no meaningful change will come to our dear country. First, let us fix the "leader in the mirror" then we has a secure ground to challenge the looters in Abuja. Peace

Posted by Olly Ugochris on Oct 25 2009

Well said @Oye, we can complain all we want but get the chance yourself tomorrow and you will do the same, it's a vicious circle that needs to be broken. Everybody needs to do self reflection...aka 'look in the mirror' because we are all potential leaders. We need a national re-orientation of values, beliefs and principles and learn to do what's right most of the time. Na where man dey work im dey chop too, but emphasis should be laid on the 'work'. The truth is that our so called leaders are heartless and greedy, they'd rather take all than give a little or nothing at all. They are out of control and above the law with nobody able to check them because they are all in it together. "Thief no fit arrest thief" situation. Nobody to speak for the poor and oppressed, the same people they are supposed to be serving as 'public servants'.The devil and his demons are definitely ruling our nation through his human counterparts. God help us all.

Posted by Kayode Mustapha on Oct 25 2009

The situation of Nigeria is unfortunate, not because the amounts being earned by her political office holders are too much, but because they will still appropriate all other opportunities like contracts, scholarships, aid, etc to themselves. Even if tissue paper is being shared, they will make sure they out-share an average citizen. They will continue to do this until the problem reaches a rock-bottom and the nation explodes. We are all leaving on borrow time unless we change the order. God saves Nigeria.

Posted by Adeola Bello on Oct 25 2009

Hope its not eyes service so to speak

Posted by joe on Oct 25 2009

Do we need a revolution or not?

Posted by obalola on Oct 25 2009

@SAYDURA, you are too much. We just dont need full-time lawmakers afterall most of them hardly gets to the chamber in a month aside their unending usual recess. Let them be on wages payable as they sit.Our MUMU don do.

Posted by Nobel on Oct 25 2009

This is another demonstration of the unrealistic Nigerian System - will this offset ever be accounted for? An average Nigerian can barely feed himself, talk less of his/her dependents and they can still appear in public with their heads. Unfortunately, these same enemies of the country are in control of the affairs of the country and they continue to enslave those whom they are paid to serve. As per the way forward - particularly for those aspiring to become a politician someday in order to loot the treasury, every one is bound to reap what he sows. If you've had the opportunity to be close to these people and you can read behind the lines, you'll understand what I mean. I will still emphasize that Nigerians in this generation should aggressively begin or continue to think in search for a true way forward, at least to save the next generation. Stop wasting your time expecting these 'Devilish' politicians to do anything good for this nation. We need a change in attitude and reasoning. The richest man in the world today is not a politician - food for thought.

Posted by Ephraim on Oct 25 2009

Trouble will never end. I can see the reason for political killings and why they are afraid of electoral reforms. The earlier something reasonable is done the better.

Posted by IGBO MAN on Oct 25 2009

I hope that ASUU and its members did not see this figures because they will embark on another strike, some of this lecturers are better than these shameless law makers, but stii they earn less. I guess that revolution wont be a bad idea at these time of hardship and deaths of Nigerians.. our government have to speed up projects that will aleviate the sufferings of the masses, so that they can live longer.