The Federal High Court in Lagos today ordered the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to fix the salaries and allowances of the 469 members of the National Assembly– 109 in the Senate and 360 in the House of Representatives to reflect the economic realities in the country.
The court also ruled that the National Assembly Service Commission has no power to determine the remuneration and allowances of lawmakers.
The judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor followed the consolidated suits brought by Mr Monday Ubani, Mr John Nwokwu, more than 1,500 concerned Nigerians, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), BudgIT and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE).
Justice Obiozor gave the judgment after the hearing of Originating Summons in suit number FHC/L/CS/690/2018: Mr Monday Ubani and other, and suit number FHC/LA/CS/943/2019 involving SERAP, EiE, BudgIT, (suing for themselves and on behalf of 1522 concerned Nigerians).
The Court also ruled that RMAFC is the only body responsible for determining the salaries, remuneration and/or allowances of the National Assembly or Political Offices Holders.
The Court heard arguments from the Plaintiffs’ lawyers Mr Femi Falana (SAN) and Ms Adelanke Aremo.
This development was disclosed on Friday in a statement by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare.
According to the Court, “the National Assembly Service Commission has no power whatsoever to fix and determine or allocate the remuneration, allowances, salaries, emoluments or monetary values to the members of the National Assembly.”
The suit was filed on the heels of the reports that members of the National Assembly receive running costs and allowances not determined by RMAFC and that such allowances are illegal because they are far above what the RMAFC prescribed.
It would be recalled that Senator Shehu Sani had in an interview with the News Magazine on the 8th of March 2018 revealed that “each senator receives N13.5 million Monthly as running cost in addition to over N750,000.00 monthly consolidated salary and allowances”.
The Plaintiffs in their consolidated suits stated: “RMAFC has failed to do any downward review of salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly since 2007 in spite of the economic downturn in Nigeria. Yet, the commission is statutorily required to review the pay of the lawmakers, in conformity with the country’s economic realities and to achieve fiscal efficiency.”
