The sum of N66, 485,462 would be slashed from all the 109 senators if the 30 percent pay cut recommended by the adhoc committee constituted to look into the finances of the lawmakers is implemented, Daily Trust has gathered.
The lawmakers decided to part with the sum following the outcry that trailed the N150billion budgeted for the National Assembly in this year’s budget. The budget was later reduced to N120billion.
The adhoc committee constituted by Senate President Bukola Saraki to look into the finances of the National Assembly has recommended a 30 percent slash in the lawmakers salaries.
If the cut proposal sails through, senators will now earn N1, 418,480 as basic annual salary against the previous N2, 026,400 as contained in the reviewed remuneration package for the legislature at the federal, state and local government levels.
The senate president who earns higher than his colleagues will now earn N1,738,969 as against his present N2,484,242.50. The deputy senate president, on his part will now get an annual basic salary of N1, 616,416 against N2, 309,166.
The deduction would reflect in all the allowances of the lawmakers which are calculated using the annual basic salaries as template.
Our correspondent reports that senators get more money from their numerous allowances than their annual basic salaries.
The salaries of the lawmakers put together by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in February 2007 is still in use.
The 30 percent slash would affect the allowances of the senators which include accommodation (N4m), vehicle loan (N8m), furniture (N6m), severance gratuity (N6m), car maintenance (N1.52m), and personal assistant (N506, 640.)
Other allowances of the senators to be affected are entertainment N202,640, recess N202,640, utility N607,926, newspapers N303,960, house maintenance N101,320 and wardrobe allowance N405,280.
Our correspondent reports that chairman of the adhoc committee, Senator James Manager had on Thursday submitted the report of the committee during the plenary.
Though the report was not read at the floor, our correspondent gathered that one of the recommendations of the committee was the 30 percent slash in the salaries of the lawmakers.
It was gathered that the report of the committee would be debated at the plenary this week and after resolution, the senators would start receiving their salaries and allowances which have been hanging since their inauguration on June 9.
A senator told our correspondent that the delay in the payment of their salaries and allowances was due to the plan reduction.
“I know it will be debated this week but it will definitely raise dust and generate reactions because apart from the senate president and few others, the majority of us are against it,” he said.
But one of the three senators from Kano state threw his weight behind the plan cut, saying, “no sacrifice is too much for the electorate that trooped out despite scorching sun and rain to vote for us.
“Most of us are into many private businesses and we spend daily more than what we are earning here at the senate. So the slash is a welcome development in as much it will benefit the masses,” he said.
Efforts to get the chairman senate publicity adhoc committee, Dino Melaye to speak on the reduction yielded no result as he was not picking his calls.
