Saraki Bows To Pressure, Agrees To Discuss Lawmakers’ Salary, Allowances With SERAP

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has invited the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to the National Assembly to discuss the earnings of lawmakers.

The development follows SERAP’s letter addressed to the Senate President asking that he “urgently explain to Nigerians if it is true that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, and over N3 billion a year,” adding that “The ‘sky will not fall’ if details of a Nigerian Senator’s salaries and allowances are published on a dedicated website.”

Recall that the Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay, had alleged that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay.

The details of the salaries and allowances as provided by Professor Sagay are as follows: basic salary N2,484,245.50; hardship allowance, 1,242, 122.70; constituency allowance N4, 968, 509.00; furniture allowance N7, 452, 736.50; newspaper allowance N1, 242, 122.70. Others are: Wardrobe allowance N621,061.37; recess allowance N248, 424.55; accommodation 4,968,509.00; utilities N828,081.83; domestic staff N1,863,184.12; entertainment N828,081.83; personal assistant N621,061.37; vehicle maintenance allowance N1,863,184.12; leave allowance N248,424.55; severance gratuity N7, 425,736.50; and motor vehicle allowance N9, 936,982.00.

The rights group in reaction had asked Saraki if Professor Sagay’s claim was true, saying “If the Senate under your leadership is committed to serving the public interest, it should reaffirm its commitment to openness by urgently publishing details of salaries and allowances of members.”

In a fresh statement signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, on Wednesday, SERAP while accepting the invitation, said: “We are pleased to accept the invitation from the Senate President to visit the National Assembly to discuss matters of public interest following SERAP’s letter to Saraki to disclose details of salaries and allowances of members of the Senate.

“We will use the opportunity of the face-to-face meeting to ask pertinent questions and seek detailed information and clarifications on the exact salaries and allowances that each senator receives monthly or yearly.”

Adewale said that the Office of the Senate President contacted SERAP yesterday to set up a meeting for Thursday for 1pm at the National Assembly Complex.

The Special Adviser to Saraki on New Media, Bamikole Omishore, had said on Sunday in Abuja that he would contact SERAP and other CSOs for a meeting to give more details on the yearly earnings of senators.

Omishore said: “The attention of the office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to demand for more details regarding the earnings of senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having released the breakdown of the National Assembly budget, the most comprehensive in the history of Nigerian Senate, it seems the release of pay slips is yet to clarify earnings of Nigerian senators.

“The Senate President has agreed to a roundtable with SERAP and other CSOs to enlighten them and answer genuine questions regarding the matter. I will make contact with SERAP and other CSOs for a date convenient for all parties in the next few days,” Omishore also said.