Senator Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South, has disclosed that he earns a staggering N22 million per month as a lawmaker. This figure, which includes both his salary and the running costs of his office, was shared during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
“The amount of salary I receive per month is less than N1 million,” Senator Sumaila stated. “But after some deductions, it comes back to about six hundred thousand naira and a little something as salary.”
His statement comes just 24 hours after the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) announced that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month. While Senator Sumaila confirmed that his salary is indeed around N1 million, he went on to reveal that lawmakers also receive an additional N21 million as running costs.
“Because of the increment, every senator is receiving N21 million as running cost,” he added, highlighting the significant discrepancy between the official figures and the actual earnings of the lawmakers.
When asked about the earnings of the leadership of the National Assembly, Senator Sumaila admitted, “I don’t have an idea of what leaders of the national assembly earn.”
He also took the opportunity to criticize former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has been vocal in his accusations against lawmakers’ earnings. “It was during his tenure that legislatures earned unreasonable amounts,” Senator Sumaila remarked, pushing back against the former president’s claims.
Editor: Gabriel Ani
