By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
Abuja—The highest legal annual salary and allowances of  any federal legislator stands at N9,118 million.

According to the approved pay package for law makers in the three tiers of government, Senators receive the highest cash made up of salaries and other allowances which have been monetised, with each receiving a total of  N759,900 per month.

Senate President receives, legally, N3,353,727.38 annually, or N279, 477.28 monthly, since much of what Senators receive in monetised allowances are provided by the Federal Government.

The Deputy Senate President receives N3.117 per annum, which translates to N 259, 781.26, monthly.
Similarly, members of the House of  Representatives receive N7.940 million per annum, which translates to N661, 737.50 per month.

Speaker of the House of Representatives’ approved salary and allowances totaled N2.105 million annually, which comes to N175, 461.92 monthly.

Deputy Speaker’s package stands at N.722 million per year, which translates to N143, 536. 67 per month.
The Senate President and his Deputy, as well as the Speaker of the House and his Deputy  do not draw allowances for accommodation, cars, Personal Assistants, Domestic Staff, entertainment, utilities and newspapers, as all of these are provided by the Federal Government.

However, other members of both chambers receive cash for the list in line with the monetisation policy put in place by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

The only allowances the four top leaders of the National Assembly enjoy are those for leave and constituency offices.
At the state level, Speakers receive N 2. 049 million annually (N170,820.31 monthly); Deputy Speakers and members receive N1.807 (N150, 623.18 monthly) and N1.450 million (N120, 907.39 monthly), respectively.

Legislative heads at the local government level receive N 1.825 million annually (N151, 118.75 monthly), while their deputies and members receive N1.773 million (N147,825.00 monthly) and N1.064 million (N 88, 675. 53 monthly), respectively.

The above remunerations are those approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

They, however, exclude allowances for tours within and outside the country.

RMAFC sources said it was illegal for any chamber to collapse its recurrent and capital votes into one and share among members as, according to him, such a practice amounts to fraud and a breach of financial regulations in the public sector.
Senators’ allowances details

There has been a major outcry by the Nigerian public following reports that legislators were sharing their budgets on quarterly basis, having collapsed both capital and recurrent budgets into one.

Accommodation 150 per cent of annual salary; furniture 150 %; car loan 250 %; personal assistant 25 %; duty tour allowance N23,000 per night; estacode $600 per night; domestic staff 50 %; entertainment 20 %; utilities 25 %.
Others are: Recess 10 %; newspapers/periodicals 10%; responsibility 10 – 5 %; constituency 125 %; severance gratuity 300 %.

Representatives’

Accommodation N150 %; furniture 150%; car 250 %; vehicle maintenance 50%; personal assistant 25 %; duty tour N21,000 per night; estacode $550 per night; utilities 10 %; .

Others are: Domestic staff 50 %; recess 10%;  newspapers 10 %; constituency 75%; severance gratuity 3000%.