PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-president Namadi Sambo, non-returning federal lawmakers, ministers and   presidential aides will collect N3.24bn as severance allowances, investigation by The PUNCH has shown.

The severance allowances   are contained in the Remuneration Package   put together by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

According to the package, Jonathan, who will hand over to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29, is entitled to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary.

The President’s annual basic salary is put at N3, 514,705 and therefore his severance allowance will be N10, 544,115 after May 29.

The severance allowance is without prejudice to his other constitutional entitlements as a former head of government.

Similarly, Vice-President Sambo, who leaves office the same day as Jonathan, is also entitled to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary put at N3, 031,572.50. This means that his severance allowance after May 29 is N9, 094,717.50.

For having held the office of vice- president, Sambo also has some constitutional entitlements and perks.

About 76 senators are not returning to the National Assembly either because they did not stand for election or because they lost their bids to return. They are however entitled to N462,019,200 at the expiration of their tenure on June 5.

Like Jonathan and Sambo, they are entitled to 300 per cent of their annual basic salaries as severance allowances. This amounts to N6, 079,200 per senator.

In the House of Representatives, about 290 members are not returning to the 8th National Assembly to be proclaimed into existence by Buhari on June 5.

Each of the members is entitled to N5, 955,637.50 as severance allowance. This means that the 290 members   will be paid N1, 727,134,875.

The ministers, on the other hand, will be collecting a total of N253, 967,212.5. There are 42 ministers in Jonathan’s cabinet. Thirty one of them are senior ministers and 11 are ministers of state.

Each of the senior ministers is entitled to N6, 079,200 severance allowance while each of the ministers of state   will receive N5, 872,740.

This means that collectively, the senior ministers will get N188, 455,200 at the expiration of their tenure on May 29 while collectively, the ministers of state will be collecting N65, 512,012.5 .

The aides to the President comprising special advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants   will   get   N775, 207,125.

There are 23 of them who work with the president as special advisers. Apart from this number, however, there are several others estimated at 110 who work with the vice-president, the First Lady(Patience Jonathan) and special advisers that are designated either as senior special assistants or special assistants to the President.

This means that there are about 133 aides to the president and each of them is entitled to 300 per cent of their annual basic salary which amounts to N5, 828,625.

The Nigerian democracy has been identified as one of the costliest in the world as a result of a large number of political office holders.

Some experts, for instance, think that a cabinet made up of 42 ministers is too large. However, constitutionally, each of the 36 states   is expected to be represented in the Federal Executive Council.

Bicameralism is another source of worry for many observers who believe that Nigeria can do with one chamber of the National Assembly. Some Nigerians have called for part-time legislature as a means of saving cost.

However, the worry of many Nigerians is not what the lawmakers earn monthly but what accrues to them through self-appropriation and   constituency projects.

Two activist   lawyers – Jiti Ogunye and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa – faulted the basis for earmarking such an amount of money for such purposes in the face of the economic challenges the country is grappling with.

While Adegboruwa argued that the political office holders were not entitled to any severance allowance given what they earned as salaries and benefits while in office, Ogunye called for a drastic cut in the allowances.

Adegboruwa said that since the political office holders had   been paid what could sustain them and their families for the rest of their lives, they   were   no longer entitled to severance allowance.

He said, “I believe that given the monumental and outrageous salaries, benefits and allowances that are being paid to the outgoing members of this executive, the legislators especially the House of Representatives, senators and ministers, I believe they should save Nigerians from the luxury of any outrageous allowance.

“This incoming government needs a lot of resources to fulfil its campaign promises. Our incoming government is likely to remain stagnant for now. Nigeria cannot afford the luxury in the name of severance allowance. Our people are suffering. They should have mercy on Nigeria. What they have taken is enough to sustain them and their families for the rest of their lives.”

Ogunye said, “While the RMAFAC could have its own scale, guidelines and parameters for determining those political office holders who qualify for these severance benefits and the quantum each of them and all of them should recieve, we cannot but point out that this amount, in the circumstances of our dire economic situation, is outrageous.

“It is carrying the culture of profligacy and corruption in the conduct of our public affairs too far. At this point of economic recession and dwindling oil revenue, RMFAC ought to be chiefly concerned with revenue mobilisation to cater for the shortfall in the funding of the yet to be passed 2015 Appropriation bill.

“We suggest a drastic cut in the amount. Political office holders do not necessarily serve Nigeria more and better than school teachers, lecturers, judges, health workers et cetra, who take home modest gratituities and pensions after 35 years of service.”

The Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere,   Yinka Odumakin, said, “It is   unjust   and morally reprehensible for these officials who mostly have fleeced the public till with veracious rapacity to legislate crazy retirement benefits.

“It is nothing but robbing the public for people who lived off the state for four or eight years to want to become permanent liability on the system.

“This is a country where civil servants who served the country for 35 years are queuing to death for pensions that mostly remain unpaid. There are no serious countries in the world where public officials earn what ours take not to talk of the sickening retirement benefits they ask for.”
Source: www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-sambo-others-to-get-n3-24bn-severance-pay/

Now I can make sense of these last minute ministerial appointments.

Una go dey alright

When APC was telling the public there is something behind all the sacking and urgent recruitment they said its all propaganda, now some facts are being shown. May God almighty deliver Nigeria from the claws of the corrupt and self centered ones.

So the lawmakers that didn't even speak a word save for greeting their colleagues throughout their tenures will be paid as well, this is the easier than winning a lottery..



Nigerian politicians are the true representation of the pentecoastal churches' beloved prayer point. "God,let me profit without putting in any work".. Amin!

I do not blame them though,which goat sees an unprotected and robust tuber of yam and leave it be? Enjoy my people ojare,na bad belle dey worry we ordinary nigerian citizens,to rig election nor easy..

Nigeria's democracy is basically for d rich. They serve Nigeria for only 4 yrs nd end up with several millions while an average Nigerian serves for 35yrs nd ends up wt chicken change. God help us!

politicians are the problem of nigeria.

...after all the looting...

Na wa o.

This nonsense remuneration package needs to be looked into once more. There must be conditions to benefit from this type of largesse and not just left blanket like this.

For instance,
1. Any political office holder with any link to corruption case (e.g Farouk Lawan) may not benefit from such package until the case is finalized.

2. Instead of the flat 300% of basic salary irrespective of number of years served, it can be something like 100% of basic for between 3 and 5 years of service; 200% for between 5 and 7 years and 300% for 8years above.

I just know the current arrangement is not right sha.

GEJ alone deserves that whole money. Make dem give am. Atleast e nor reach d one wey tinubu and fash steal from lagos state alone

please come again!

Smh and your pdp administration of 16 years couldnt try them in court or bring a concrete evidence.... all they could do was waste more money in paying the media

himkers:
GEJ alone deserves that whole money. Make dem give am. Atleast e nor reach d one wey tinubu and fash steal from lagos state alone

All this greedy politicians making stupid laws that favors only them and their families while pensioners die on queues under the hot sun

And they will repay it back with profit...
Prodigal owi.... Lawyers & EFCC AWAIT THEM BOTH

This is the norm in public service.

What should be aimed at is reducing the basic salaries and allowances which are all indirectly tied to the severance package.

That way the severance package will also be reduced.

Political offices should be made less financially attractive by doing this.

Waste of public fund, the system need a total overhauling

SMALL, sha.

Nigeria is sick and the doctor to treat her will pay with his own blood

Ontop all d looting,Dem go ever poor so?

He deserves more jor......

#respect 2 ma presido

And how much does the common civil servant,who served the country all his life get paid as pension? That is if he gets paid anyway. All that billions of naira to settle corrupt officials? To much being spent on governance in Nigeria and that's why we find cases of fraudulent democracy in some parts of the country.

Nawa ooo,...

Post like this makes me cry....
The rich just becomes richer annd the poor is becoming poorer
Now listen Gen moda4kin buhari on may 30 let all politicians wage be cut short by 500%
And all those freaking allowances












I know you can't do it
So baba God let all the politicians in Nigeria perish In Jesus name amen
See how they squander my freakin money
That what I am sayin tafawa balewa fought for our independence a bit too early...
God I be like say make I go do jazz kill all the politicians

We lack leaders in dis country. Am waiting to c if buhari will be diferent...if he ends up like others just know dat dere is no hope 4 ds country.

This is crazy!

Lil wonder some guy who deserted the NA during the heat of battle with BH in March, complained bitterly!

How can these people who did not add anything to the PROPER development of our country be thus compensated? When the likes of the NA who shed their blood and sweat to restore parity caused by the mess of these thieves get paid peanuts?

Nigeria really has a long way to go...

Asides, if Nigeria can pay this amount of money to politicians just because they're leaving office, so what is stopping us from getting constant power (electricity)? Mtcheeww

When you begin to think that things are getting better and then you see the reply by rabbuy above me then you wonder if there are not getting worse.

Meanwhile...........it shall be well

And they want us to believe he's a hero.
Hero my foot!
Amaechi my hero, Buhari my role model, Aisha buhari my Aunty, osibanjo my lord, Tinubu my idol and Diezani my massaging machine.

baybeeboi:
When you begin to think that things are getting better and then you see the reply by rabbuy above me then you wonder if there are not getting worse.

Meanwhile........... it shall be well

it shall be a lagoon.

g

“This is a country where civil servants who served the country for 35 years are queuing to death for pensions that mostly remain unpaid. There are no serious countries in the world where public officials earn what ours take not to talk of the sickening retirement benefits they ask for.”

From the article.

Severance pay. What was severed