investigations by our source has shown that Payment of overhead allowances to Nigerian lawmakers inaugurated on Tuesday in the first three months will increase their total allowances to N19.89bn.
It has been exclusively reported that 469 lawmakers would get N4.68bn as welcome package to sort out accommodation and furniture issues.

Further investigations showed that each senator will receive N40.5m for three months as overhead allowance, with  each member of the House of Representatives  receiving N30m for the same purpose.

This affirms that 109 senators  will get N4.41bn as overhead allowance for the first three months while the 360 Reps will get N10.8bn in  their first three months.

Added to the N4.68bn for accommodation and furniture, the legislators  will get N19.89bn within their first three months in the red and green chambers. 

We recall that some Non-Governmental Organisations led by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project had been strident in opposing the N4.68bn welcome package.

further investigations has also shown that the process of reviewing downwards the entitlements of lawmakers and other office holders was aborted by the Presidency, which refused to officially receive a bill for the review of salaries and allowances of public office holders prepared by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

 RMAFC  embarked on downward review of allowances of all political office holders,Following a  public  outcry  that the remuneration of lawmakers was not in tune with the economic realities in the country.

The ratification of the new packages prepared by a committee headed by a former Chairman of Remuneration Committee, Mr Abdullahi Inde, followed a retreat held for commissioners of the agency in Owerri in November 2015.

Although the recommendation was informally sent to the Presidency, it was not formally received along with a bill for new revenue formula which was also prepared by RMAFC.

Each member of the House of Representatives on resumption, therefore, is entitled to N9,926, 062.5, according to the prescription of RMAFC in its Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders 2007 to Date.

Apart from these allowances, other perks of office that are paid to lawmakers on a monthly basis include motor vehicle maintenance and fuelling. This is pegged at 75 per cent of their monthly salary.