‘N’Assembly members get N9bn jumbo pay next week’

Reps move to criminalise late, non-payment of salaries

The management of the National Assembly may have set aside about N9bn for the recently inaugurated lawmakers in both the upper and lower chambers of the federal parliament as allowances.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the jumbo pay, which will cover their accommodation, furniture and vehicle allowances, would be disbursed to them next week.

A senior management worker, who stated this on the condition of anonymity on Monday, explained that the N9bn represented 850 per cent of their basic salaries for four years.

He said, “A senator earns about N2m basic salary per month while the basic monthly salary of a member of the House of Representatives is about N1.8m.

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“What the management usually do is to deduct upfront, 300 per cent as housing allowance, 300 per cent as vehicle allowance and 250 per cent as furniture allowance.

He added that when calculated, each senator would earn about N16.5m while a member of the House of Representatives would collect about N14.5 per cent each.

He said, “A senator, for instance, will collect N6m as accommodation allowance; N6m as vehicle allowance; and N4.5m as furniture allowance.”

The source added that the money would be paid directly into their individual bank accounts latest by next week.

He also added that other allowances such as the wardrobe allowance had been calculated and would be paid along with the other enumerated ones.

It will be recalled that the federal lawmakers started collecting accommodation allowances following the sale of the official residences of the National Assembly members in the Apo Legislative Quarters, sometimes in 2010 during the regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo