The Nigerian Senate has refuted claims made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo regarding its involvement in setting its own salaries and receiving special financial packages from the Presidency. The Senate clarified that the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMFC) is solely responsible for determining the salaries and entitlements of its members.
These allegations, which emerged after members of the House of Representatives visited Obasanjo, have ignited widespread public discussion.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, Senate Spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) dismissed the accusations as an attempt to “crucify the Legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.”
Adaramodu emphasized that no Senator has received any financial favors from the Presidency. He explained that the constituency projects commonly associated with the legislature are proposed and nominated by Senators, a practice that is standard in other democracies.
He further stressed that the Senate only receives the salaries allocated by the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission, in strict compliance with constitutional provisions.
Adaramodu challenged anyone with credible evidence to provide contradictory information, condemning the suggestion that the National Assembly sets its own salaries as “uncharitable and satanic.”
Additionally, he noted that the Executive branch, through its various ministries and agencies, is responsible for awarding contracts for constituency projects. These funds, he explained, vary based on the number of constituencies in each state, with the goal of ensuring that every region benefits from federal resources.
