Despite going on recess, Senators and House of Representatives members are still being paid.

Investigations reveal that they have been paid N93 million as allowance for the six weeks recess they embarked upon.
The legislators had embarked on the recess on 13th August after sitting for only 14 days and without debating any bills and are to resume on the 29th next month.
Investigations further revealed that the allowance was 10 percent of the annual basic salary of the legislators as stipulated in the remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

A browse on the allowances of the legislators as contained in the RMAFC showed that accommodation allowance was 200 percent of the lawmakers’ annual basic salary.
However, 28 days allowance could not be found in the RMAFC document on the salaries and allowances of the lawmakers.

Unlike the three other recesses embarked upon by the legislators at the peak of the controversies that engulfed the National Assembly, the ongoing recess was their statutory annual holiday.
It was further revealed that aside from the recess allowance, the legislators in both upper and lower chambers have been paid their accommodation as well as what is tagged 28 days allowance.

In addition to these allowances, the lawmakers said their salaries for June and July have been paid.

In an interview, the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume contradicted this, saying that their salaries and allowances are not as big as the media are making it to look.

“The press is after us on this as they make unnecessary noise and tension but Nigerian legislators are not being paid bogus salaries or allowances as you are claiming. On a general note, part of the problems, we have in this country is that the Nigerian press have not key into the Nigerian project. You people must be part of it so that the country can move forward. You people must de-emphasize on low level news and concentrate on what would move us forward.
“If we are being paid fat salaries, Senators and House of Representatives members that served in the 6th and 7th Assemblies will not be finding it difficult to pay their children’s school fees.  There are some Senators who have not been paid there severance allowances and cannot meet their basic needs in life,” he said.

Janeth J