Senate may disclose details of alleged N3bn pay packet, invites SERAP

The Senate may have finally accepted to divulge the details of the salaries and allowances of its members as it has invited Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project for a meeting on Thursday, September 21, to deliberate on the matter.

The Senate in an invitation through the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has asked the organisation to visit the National Assembly to discuss issues relating to the annual salaries and allowances of the lawmakers.

SERAP made this known in a statement it sent to Ripples Nigeria on Wednesday and signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale. He said that SERAP representatives will on Thursday September 21, 2017 visit the National Assembly to meet with the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to discuss the vexed issues of annual salaries and allowances of the lawmakers.

“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,” part of the statement read.

Adewale said that the Office of the Senate President contacted SERAP yesterday to set up a meeting for Thursday. The meeting, scheduled for 1pm at the National Assembly Complex follows SERAP’s request to Saraki to “urgently explain to Nigerians if it is true that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, and over N3 billion a year.”

SERAP had sequel to an allegation by Professor Itse Sagay, chairman Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, called on the Senate to respond on the allegation by explaining to Nigerians if it was true of false.

It had in its letter addressed to Saraki said, “The ‘sky will not fall’ if details of a Nigerian Senator’s salaries and allowances are published on a dedicated website. SERAP believes that releasing the information on salaries and allowances of members of the Senate would encourage a nuanced, evidence-based public debate on what would or should be a fair salary for a member of the Senate.

“It is by making transparency a guiding principle of the National Assembly that the Senate can regain the support of their constituents and public trust, and contribute to ending the country’s damaging reputation for corruption.”

The details of the salaries and allowances as provided by Professor Sagay were 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.

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