Nigerian Senator Hits Back at Revenue Commission Over Salary Dispute

A former Nigerian Senator, Shehu Sani, has contested claims made by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) about the earnings of Nigerian senators. Sani, who was a member of the senate from 2015 to 2019, has accused RMAFC of being evasive about the figures.

RMAFC had claimed that each senator receives a monthly salary of N1 million (approximately $2,740 USD). However, Sani pointed out that the commission did not provide the total sum of the monthly running cost, which he claimed senators receive in addition to their salary. RMAFC had previously rejected Sani’s claim that senators earn a monthly running cost of N13.5 million (approximately $36,600 USD) in addition to a salary of N750,000 (approximately $2,030 USD).

In a post on his personal social media handle, Sani noted that RMAFC had only quoted the figures for the salary earned by senators, without providing the total sum of their monthly running cost. He added, “I can understand their fears,” implying that the commission may be hesitant to disclose the figures due to concerns about public criticism.

This dispute comes on the heels of comments made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who accused federal lawmakers of fixing their own salaries, describing the practice as “immoral.”