In a recent video on Channels Television from 4 minutes 30 seconds, Former Senator Shehu Sani has provided insights into the earnings structure of Nigerian legislators, seeking to clarify ongoing debates about their remuneration. Speaking on the matter, Sani, who served in the 8th Senate, highlighted the components of a senator’s income, emphasizing that much of the public discourse has been clouded by misconceptions.
Sani further elaborated on the three primary allocations that legislators receive. “Legislators receive three allocations: the first is the salary, the second is the running cost of the office, and that running cost is used to maintain your office in the National Assembly and the one in the constituency.” He clarified that staff salaries are not deducted from the running cost, as they are covered by the National Assembly.
According to him, “What I know very well is that the basic salary during our time was ₦750,000, and now they said it’s ₦1 million. And there is what is called the running cost of your office. The running cost of your office is not sent to the office account; it’s sent to your own personal account. So, I don’t know—it’s all semantics, trying to play with figures. But I can confirm that whatever comes to your account is due to you, irrespective of whatever appellation is attached to it. The point is that if I receive ₦21 million monthly, and I said I receive ₦21 million, maybe an explanation can come later, but it goes to my personal account, and I was told this is how I will do it. That’s a different thing.”
“Legislators receive three allocations: the first is the salary, the second is the running cost of the office, and that running cost is used to maintain your office in the National Assembly and the one in the constituency. But it is not the money you are given to pay your staff; all the staff that you employ are paid by the National Assembly, so they are not paid from that amount of money.”
“Thirdly, there is the constituency fund, which, of course, is not money that is credited to the accounts of senators and honorable members, but it’s money that is domiciled in a federal agency, for which you are required to submit projects within that envelope. Some will say they want to build hospitals, some schools, some roads, some want to do empowerment programs, and then you submit it, and the government or the agency executes it in your constituency.”