Lower NASS Allowances

Nigeria holds the dismal record of having the highest paid legislators globally according to The Economist, a London based magazine.

It is reported that our federal legislators have a basic salary of $189,500 per annum (N30.6m) making them hold this position in the world. The lowest paid legislator in Nigeria earns N30.6 million ($189.5,000) per annum which was put at 116 times the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, per person. As a ratio to GDP per person.

The actual take home of the federal legislators has continued to remain in the dark, for reasons best known to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC).

However, the RMAFC report of 2007, said the subsisting approved packages for National Assembly (NASS) members include accommodation: (Senator N4m, Rep N3.97m), vehicle loan (Senator N8m, Rep N6.948m), furniture (Senator N6m, Rep N5.956m) and severance gratuity (Senator N6m, Rep N5.956m), which are due once in four years.

Other allowances, payable annually, are car maintenance (Senator N1.52m, Rep N595,563), constituency (Senator N5m, Rep N1.687m), domestic staff (Senator N1.5m, Rep N1.488m), personal assistant (Senator N506,600; Rep N496,303), entertainment (Senator N202,640, Rep N198,521), recess (Senator N202,640; Rep N198,521), utilities (Senator N607,920; Rep N397,042), newspaper / periodicals (Senator N303,960; Rep N297,781), house maintenance (Senator N101,320; Rep N99,260) and wardrobe (Senator N405,280; Rep N397,4020).

There is need for adjustment of the wages of the legislators to reflect the pay structure in a country where the minimum wage is N18,000