Incoming National Assembly Members To Get N4.68b As Welcome Package – Report

A total number of 469 individuals who emerged victorious in the National Assembly elections of February 23, will be paid N4.68 billion as welcome package after their inauguration in June, a report has revealed.

The package, it was learnt, is according to the provisions of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders 2007 to Date, the Punch reports.

The said money is to aid lawmakers in taking care of accommodation and furniture arrangements.

Accommodation allowance, which is paid for yearly, and furniture allowance, which is paid for once in four years, are two of the irregular entitlements of lawmakers and other political office holders.

Each Senator-elect is entitled to an accommodation allowance N4,052,800 and a furniture allowance is N6,079,200, totalling N10,132,000.

Therefore, the 109 newly elected senators will be paid the sum of N1.1 billion upon resumption.

Similarly, each Representative-elect of the 360-member House of Representatives will receive N5,955,637.5 as furniture allowance and N3, 970,425 as accommodation allowance, totalling N9.926, 062.5.

In total, the lawmakers will be paid the sum of N3.57 billion as their allowances for furniture and accommodation.

The lawmakers-elect are also entitled to motor vehicle allowance, which sums up to N8, 105,600 for each Senator while N7, 940,850.50 is for each Representative.

Other allowances entitled to federal lawmakers include motor vehicle maintenance and fuelling, which constitutes 75 per cent of their monthly salary; personal assistant – 25 per cent; domestic staff – 75 per cent; entertainment – 30 per cent; utilities – 30 per cent; newspapers/periodicals – 15 per cent; wardrobe – 25 per cent; house maintenance – five per cent; and constituency – 250 per cent.

The lawmakers are also entitled to tour duty allowance (TDA), estacode (when they travel) and recess allowances. For a Senator, the TDA is N37, 000 per night; the estacode is $950 per night and the recess allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary.

For a member of the House of Representatives, the TDA is N35, 000 per night; the estacode is $900 per night and the recess allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary.