In the United States, while the minimum wage is $1,257
(N191, 667), a US lawmaker earns $15,080 (N2.3m) per
month. In the United Kingdom, a lawmaker earns
$8,686(N1.3m) monthly while the gross national minimum
wage is $1,883 (N283, 333) per month. Also, Nigerian
lawmakers earn higher than their counterparts in
Sweden. With a monthly pay of $7,707 (N1.2m), a
lawmaker in Sweden will need to work for over 12 years
to equal what a Nigerian senator earn per annum.
The president of the United States takes home an anual
salary of $400,000 (N64.156,0m), including a
$50,000 expense allowance making the president the
highest paid public servant in the US. The $400,000
includes everything and $350,000 out of it is taxable.
Selected States (salary per annum)
The prime minister of the United Kingdom……USD
226,627.00
French president………………………………….. USD 318,072.00
South African president…………………………..USD 296,112.00
German chancelor………………………………….USD 296,112.00
The Prime Minister of Belgium…………………..USD 174,804.00
President of the Republic of Korea……………..USD
136,669.00
President of Russia…………………………………USD 122,652.00
Prime Minister Portugal……………………………USD 129,730.00
Prime Minister Namibia……………………………USD 115,155.00
President of Angola………………………………..USD 60,000.00
President Argentina………………………………..USD 55,139.00
Prime Minister Ukraine…………………………….USD 61,254.00
President Zimbabwe……………………………….USD 18,000.00
President of People’s republic of China………..USD
10,633.00
President Liberia……………………………………USD 90,000.00
Prime Minister Spain ……………………………..USD 102,960.00
Prime Minister Namibia…………………………..USD 115,155.00
President Namibia…………………………………USD 164,506.00
President of Colombia …………………………..USD 120,685.00
Prime Minister of the Netherlands……………..USD
190,740.00
Prime Minister Ireland……………………………USD 264,000.00
Prime Minister Denmark…………………………USD 264,533.00
President Mexico………………………………….USD 328,839.00
USD 328,839.00 ………………………………….USD 427,886.00
President Austria………………………………….USD 422,231.00
President of the European Council…………….USD
508,916.00
NIGERIAN SENATORS
Basic Salary (BS) = N2,484,245.50
Hardship Allowanc: 50% of Basic Salary =
N1,242,122.75
Constituency allowance: 200% of BS =
N4,968,509.00
Furniture Allowance: 300% of BS = N7,452,736.50
Newspaper allowance: 50% = N1,242,122.70
Wardrobe allowance: 25% = N621,061.37
Recess Allowance: 10% = N248,424.55
Accommodation: 200% = N4,968,509.00
Utilities: 30% = N828,081.83
Domestic Staff: 35% = N863,184.12
Entertainment: 30% = N828,081.83
Personal Assistance: 25% = N621,061.37
Vehicle Maintenance Allowance: 75% = N1,863,184.12
Leave Allowance : 10% = N248,424.55
One off payments (Severance gratuity): 300% =
N7,452,736.50
Motor Vehicle Allowance: 400% of BS =
N9,936,982.00
Total per month = N29, 479, 749.00
A senator’s anual salary = over N182 million
multiply by 109 senators (don’t forget the House of rep,
ministers, ambassadors, …)
In addition to the regular and legitimate salaries and
allowances of over N17 million ($113,333) and N14.99
million ($99,933) which senators and reps were
collecting yearly and the irregular allowance of
estacodes, duty tours etc, they were also collecting
over N192m ($1.28m) and N140m ($0.93m) respectively
in illicit quarterly allocation which is not provided for by
RMAFC.
Effectively, a Nigerian senator was taking home at least
$1.40m ($1.28m quarterly allocations + $0.113m regular
salaries and allowances) as against the $0.174m an
American senator takes home hence a Nigeria senator
earns at least 8 times as much as an American senator
and more than 3 times the American president.
Whereas a Senator in the U.S earns N21, 146,000, the
same as a member of the House of Representatives; a
UK Member of Parliament earn £64,766 (N14,
896,180)
In other words, a Federal Legislator in Nigeria is paid more
than double what a Member of British Parliament earns
per annum.
Senate President David Mark alone takes N250 million
quarterly or N83.33 million per month. Senate Deputy
President Ike Ekweremadu gets N150 million per quarter
or N50 million a month.
Mark and Ekweremadu earns in 4 months, six times what
the UK Prime Minister earns in a year. David Cameron
goes home with £190,000 per anum (N43, 700,000)
In a newspaper news article entitled ‘An Assembly for
looting’ written by Musikilu Mojeed with Elor Nkereuwem,
the authors rightly claimed that each of the 360
members of the House of Representatives were getting
N35 million in cash money in quarterly allocation while
each of the 109 Senators pockets N48 million each.
These allocations have however been slashed by 20%
to N27 million ($180,000) and N38 million ($253,333)
respectively due to the 20% reduction requested by the
late president.