17,474 public office holders earn N1.126trn annually

NEW juicy legislations by state houses of assemblies apportioning mouth-watering retirement packages for retiring governors and their deputies, including the fad for ex-governors to move to the Senate are combining to further escalate the already bloated annual remuneration of public office holders.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune indicated that the 17,474 office-holders holders functioning in Nigeria’s three tiers and arms of government go home with annual remuneration of N1.126 trillion as recommended by Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Current remuneration package stipulates annual basic salaries of the president and vice president as N3,514,705.00 and 3,031,572.50 million respectively, excluding other allowances both in cash and kind. Chief Justice of Nigeria earns N3,363,972.50 million as annual basic salary, while other judges earn averagely of N2, 035, 749.10 million, annually.

Office-holders in the executive, legislature arms and judicial officers totalling 1,268 with the Federal Government earn a combined N173,656,335,193.60.

There are 4,418 individuals functioning in the same category in the 36 states, earning a combined N360.091 billion, while in the 774 local governments, there are 11,788 officers falling into the category, earning N592.8 billion.

Legislators earn allowances as percentages of annual basic salaries as follows: Accommodation 200 per cent; Furniture – 300 per cent once in four years; vehicle loan 400 per cent; Fuelling Allowance 50 per cent of basic salary; Personal Assistant- 25 percent; Duty Tour allowance and Estacode when travelling within or outside the country; domestic staff – 50 per cent; Entertainment –; Utility – 301 per cent; Recess allowance – 10 per cent; Robe allowance – 25 per cent; Newspapers – 15 per cent; Constituency allowance – Senators 250 per cent, Representatives – 150 per cent; Severance gratuity – 300 per cent once after tenure; House Maintenance; Responsibility allowance – between five and 10 per cent depending on office.

Annual total regular allowance for a senator stands at N15,299,320.00.

In the irregular category of allowances, the senator earns N6,079,200.00 for furniture and another N6,079,200.00 as severance once in four years. Total irregular allowances are difficult to compute because estacode and duty tour allowances depend on how many local and international travels were conducted. The senator also collects N8,105,600.00 as vehicle loan.

RMAFC said in the document that in terms of percentage of pay to revenue, this translates to 10.88 per cent for Federal Government; 44.49 per cent for state governments and for local government councils, it is 95.01 per cent.

Ministers, Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF) and chairmen of the federal commissions are earning annual basic salary of N2,026,400 with annual basic allowance of N179,516,640 million, just as a Special Adviser to the President (SAs) earn N1,942,875.00 as annual basic salaries and at least N174,333,300 annually as allowance.

However, this figure now pales into insignificance when it is considered that states’ houses of assembly have added billions in annual pension payments alongside other tangible perks, such as houses in choice locations across the country and fleet of cars given to the ex-governors and their deputies once in four years.

This is aside the 300 per cent basic salary as approved for these categories of former office-holders as severance allowances upon successful completion of their tenure.

There are currently 21 former governors and deputies serving as either senators or ministers.

A former governor of Lagos State, for instance, is given two houses in Lagos and six new cars replaceable every three years; furniture allowance of 300 per cent of annual salary to be paid every two years and annual pension of about N30 million.

Others are 10 per cent house maintenance, 30 per cent car maintenance, 10 per cent entertainment, 20 per cent utility and several domestic staff.

For Akwa Ibom, it is N200 million annual pay to ex-governors in addition to a lifelong pension equivalent to the salary of the incumbent governor.

Those are aside other benefits like official car and a utility vehicle every four years; one personal aide and provision of adequate security; a cook, chauffeurs and security guards for the governor at a sum not exceeding N5 million per month and N2.5 million for the deputy governor.

For a former governor of Sokoto State and his deputy, annual pay is pegged at N200 million and N180 million respectively.

When contacted, a senior official at the RMAFC insisted that the commission shared no blame in the issue, which had been generating reactions from Nigerians.

According to the source, 1999 Constitution granted state houses of assembly the power to legislate pension for former governors and their deputies.