How Nigerian Senators Reportedly Shared N218 Million As “Holiday” Allowance

Nigerian Senators Allegedly Distribute N218 Million as “Holiday” Allowance

Recent reports suggest that Nigerian senators have reportedly divided N218 million among themselves as a “holiday” allowance.

It has come to light that each of the 109 senators received N2 million before the Senate commenced a seven-week recess.

It can be recalled that during a plenary session on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio inadvertently disclosed that a “token” had been sent to senators to enjoy during their break.

A video clip capturing Akpabio’s statement quickly went viral on social media platforms.

This incident apparently occurred on Monday, following the screening and confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees by the senators.

A statement from Akpabio had stated, “In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly.”

However, Akpabio later retracted his statement, saying, “I withdraw that statement. In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.”

An anonymous source revealed to Premium Times that the senators received bank alerts on August 8, just before Akpabio made the announcement.

While the source did not confirm whether presiding officers also received N2 million each, it did affirm that all 109 senators were granted the allowance for the holidays, which commenced on Monday and will conclude on September 26.

Subsequently, FRESHREPORTERS MEDIA reported a revelation made by Abdul Ningi, a representative of Bauchi Central senatorial district, who disclosed the amount of the recess “token” received by lawmakers.

Ningi stated that some lawmakers were given N2 million as a recess allowance. However, he personally claimed not to have received his own.

In response to Akpabio’s statement, Senator Ningi emphasized that such matters should not be broadcasted in the way they were.

He expressed his concerns, stating, “I think it is a significant embarrassment to the Senate President as an individual and to the National Assembly as an institution. The Senate President should have further explained the purpose of the allowances. How were these allowances determined? Who authorized these allowances? Do they constitute part of the overall remuneration?”

Notably, the N2 million allowance provided to the senators is seemingly unauthorized, as no such provision is made in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), a legal entity responsible for establishing salaries and allowances for public servants.

The RMAFC outlines that lawmakers are entitled to a “recess” allowance equivalent to 10 percent of their annual basic salary. This sum is distributed once annually.

According to the commission’s stipulations, a senator’s annual basic salary amounts to N2,026,400, resulting in a recess allowance of N202,240 per annum.

For the Senate President, with an annual basic salary of N2,483,242, the corresponding recess allowance is N248,424. The Deputy Senate President, whose annual basic salary is N2,309,166, is entitled to a recess allowance of N230,916…[CONTINUE READING HERE]