Reveal how much Senators earn, SERAP tells Saraki

A human rights group, the socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Thursday challenged the Senate President Dr Bukola Sakari to to disclose to Nigerians if it is true that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay, and over N3 billion a year.”

SERAP said this on the heels of a revelation from professor Itse Sagay, Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), had who had  alleged that a Nigerian Senator gets N29 million in monthly pay.

In a statement by SERAP’s Deputy Director Timothy Adewale the organization said that, “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.”

“SERAP strongly believes that it is by knowing exactly how much their lawmakers earn as salaries and allowances that members of the National Assembly can remain accountable to Nigerians and our citizens can be assured that neither fraud nor government waste is concealed..”

“If the Senate is committed to serving the public interest, it should reaffirm its commitment to openness by urgently publishing details of salaries and allowances of members.

“The continuing refusal by the Senate to reveal concrete information about the salaries and allowances of their leadership and members could ultimately endanger the healthy development of a rule-of-law state.”

“SERAP is concerned that the Senate seems to consider releasing concrete information about salaries and allowances of members to be at best a burden and, at worst, a threat to their legislative functions. Releasing information on your salaries and allowances would not interfere with your law-making functions. In fact, doing so would improve public confidence in the ability and legitimacy of the Senate to perform those functions and make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Federation,” the statement said.

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