The Nigerian Senate has firmly denied allegations that each senator in the Red Chamber receives N21 million in monthly salaries and allowances, clarifying that the figure being circulated pertains to running costs, which are entirely separate from personal salaries.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Senate’s spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South, addressed the claims made by his colleague, Senator Sumaila Kawu, during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service on Wednesday.
Kawu had asserted that he receives a total of N21 million monthly, which includes both salary and allowances.
However, Adaramodu refuted this assertion, explaining that the actual monthly salary for a senator is less than N1 million.
“After deductions, the figure comes down to a little over N600,000,” Kawu had admitted during the interview.
But he also mentioned that the Senate had recently increased the running costs for senators, bringing the total amount to N21 million per month.
Adaramodu emphasized that running costs are not unique to the legislative arm of government but are a standard provision for the operational expenses of government offices.
He clarified that these funds are not part of the lawmakers’ personal earnings but are allocated for the day-to-day functioning of their offices, including the payment of constituency office staff and the execution of oversight functions.
“The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the government body responsible for determining the salaries and allowances of political office holders, has set the monthly salary and allowances for each senator at N1,063,860,” Adaramodu stated.
He added that the running costs, which are often misunderstood as personal allowances, are strictly for official use and must be retired with proof of genuine expenditure.
Expressing concern over the public perception of legislative spending, Adaramodu highlighted that the Senate is composed of distinguished professionals and leaders who are driven by a commitment to national service, not financial gain.
“The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators, and captains of industry, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, but rather by their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life into Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones,” he said.
Adaramodu also took the opportunity to address the recurring accusations of wasteful spending by the National Assembly, calling them “obsolete allegations of phantom salaries and personal emoluments spuriously credited to Senators monthly.”
He stressed that the RMAFC has already made public the official take-home pay of senators, and any additional funds are purely for the operation of their offices.
“The National Assembly, including the Senate, receives about 1% of the federal budget and has never exceeded this allocation, even during periods of financial constraints,” Adaramodu clarified.
He pointed out that all arms of government, from governors and ministers to local government councils, operate with running costs, and the National Assembly is no exception.
In concluding his statement, Adaramodu reiterated that the funds referenced by Senator Kawu are not part of his salary or personal allowance.
“These funds are allocated for the daily operation of Senators’ offices and other statutory officials.
“They also provide for constituency office staff, oversight functions, and community engagements,” he explained, adding that these funds are budgeted annually and must be accounted for with proper documentation.
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