Professor Itse Sagay, the respected law professor and chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, has revealed that every senator in Nigeria collects N29 million as monthly salary and N3 billion per annum. According to media reports, Sagay disclosed this when speaking at the Nigerian Society of International Law (NSIL) Public Lecture titled “The Many Afflictions of Anti-Corruption Crusade in Nigeria” in Lagos. He noted that “from the information I have gathered, a Nigerian Senator earns about N29 million a month and over #3 billion a year” he said.
The comprehensive breakdown of the salary of the Senators given by Professor Sagay amounted to #3, 264, 329, 264.10 per annum. The breakdown of the salary of N29 million naira per month is as follows:
Basic Salary N2, 484, 245.50; Hardship allowance, N1,242, 122.70; Constituency allowance N4, 968, 509.00; Furniture allowance N7, 452, 736.50; Newspaper allowance N1, 242, 122.70; Wardrobe allowance, N621,061.37; Recess allowance N248, 424.55; Accommodation N4,968,509.00; 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; Motor Vehicle Allowance, N9, 936,982.00. Sagay expressed his reservations about young people vying for political office. According to him, most politicians are greedy and very corrupt and that the younger the politician is, the more corrupt he turns out to be.
“One common thread that runs through the attitude of recent politicians borders on greed, avarice, self-service, and accumulation of wealth at the expense of the country. Why the rush? A young politician who wants to run at 25 will still become 30, it is just a matter of five years. Why can’t they wait to run? Most politicians are just consumed by greed and the younger they get, the corrupt they become,” he said.
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