Former Senator Elisha Abbo, who represented Adamawa North in the Senate, recently spoke out about the earnings of Nigerian senators, claiming that the amount they receive monthly is not as substantial as it seems.
In a recent interview with Arise Television, Abbo addressed the criticism often directed at the large take-home pay of Nigerian lawmakers, particularly those in the National Assembly. He argued that, despite the figures, the monthly income is “big on paper” but insufficient to meet the demands and responsibilities that come with their positions.
Abbo detailed that during his tenure as a senator, his total monthly earnings, including salary and allowances, amounted to N14.4 million. He noted that current senators receive up to N29 million monthly. He explained, “When I was in the Senate, all the allowances combined were N14.4 million per month. This included a wardrobe allowance, a vehicle allowance, and other benefits, with a base salary of N1 million. Now, it’s about N29 million, but it looks big only on paper.”
He emphasized that he is speaking truthfully, not in defense of the National Assembly, an institution he was part of for five years, but to present the facts. Abbo also revealed that his financial situation worsened after he left his business to become a senator. He said, “I had to leave the company I founded, where I was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, to enter governance after winning the election. I found myself having to subsidize my life because the funds allocated to my office were inadequate to meet the daily demands and challenges faced by my constituents.”
Abbo recounted an instance where he spent N14 million on medical care for a single individual. He added, “Every month, people from all over Adamawa State and other states would flood my office, seeking assistance. I even had to reach out to some state governors for help with cases brought from their states.”
Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticized lawmakers for determining their salaries and allowances, labeling it as “immoral.” He stated, “You are not supposed to fix your salaries or allowances; that is the job of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). It’s not right for me to determine what I pay myself; it’s immoral, and yet the Senate is doing it.”
In response, the Senate denied Obasanjo’s claims, calling them false. The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) also clarified that each of the 109 senators in the upper chamber receives a total of N1.06 million in salary and allowances per month.
Stay updated on this and other stories by joining our WhatsApp channel: WhatsApp Channel.