Nigerian senators receive N13.5 Million as ''running cost'' monthly

Shehu Sani, Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly has revealed he and his colleagues received N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

The revelation by the Senator was the first time a member of the National Assembly will confirm speculations that Nigerian senators are earning N41.5 million quarterly as a running cost.

The Kaduna Senator who made the revelation in an interview he granted to TheNEWS magazine said the running cost was in addition to the over N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each member of the Senate.

The Senator said, “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month,” the Senator said in response to the question on alleged bogus salaries and allowances of Nigerian lawmakers.

According to him, while there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.  He added that the running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency projects.

“But what I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00.

“The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every Senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

“You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

“Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.

“So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now.

“But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leaves senators and members of House of Reps with salaries.