It is not news that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has appointed 48 ministers in charge of various ministries, departments and agencies. This has raised questions in the minds of most Nigerians about the salaries and allowances each minister receives.
For some, the remuneration given to ministers is bloated and a waste of taxpayers' money, while others find it difficult to reconcile or reconcile their wealthy lifestyle with their supposed monthly salaries and allowances.
I think you also deserve to know, and come to your own conclusion when you take time to look at the facts on the ground.
This article details everything you need to know about the minister's salaries and allowances.
Approval of ministers' salaries
Like most other countries, Nigeria has a presidential system of administration. The President has the power to select ministers to lead various government ministries, departments, and agencies. These ministers, within their ministerial mandates, are responsible for the effective implementation of government policies and programmes. Nigerian ministers receive compensation for their work, just as in any other country. The compensation package for Nigerian ministers will be covered in this article
The Pay Act of 2007 governs the amount of remuneration of Nigerian ministers. A minister in Nigeria is entitled to a basic salary of N2,026,400 (two million twenty-six thousand four hundred naira) per annum, in accordance with this law. This is a monthly salary of N168,866.67 (ninety-six thousand eight hundred and sixty-six naira and sixty-seven kobo).
However, Nigerian ministers are entitled to various incentives and allowances that significantly increase their overall compensation.
Allowances and benefits
Nigerian ministers are entitled to several privileges under the Revenue Allocation and Public Finance Commission (RMAFC), many of which are aimed at ensuring their comfort and well-being while serving in office. This compensation is divided into two categories: ordinary compensation and other compensation.
Regular allowance
Fueling and maintaining cars
According to the RMAFC, each minister receives a monthly allowance of N126,650.00 for refueling and maintenance purposes. This is to compensate for the cost of refueling and performing routine checks and repairs on the official vehicle granted to them. This amounts to N1,519,800.00 annually.
Special assistant allowance
Ministers have many special assistants, and these assistants are paid salaries. But money is not always mentioned, nor is it included in the allowance package.
Personal assistant allowance
Every minister is entitled to a personal assistant who assists in scheduling meetings among other duties of the minister.
This bonus is paid to each minister as a personal assistant. The amount of this allowance is N42,216.00, which amounts to N506,600 annually.
Domestic labor allowance
Each minister has the right to appoint local officials. Such as cooks, cleaners and domestic help. Although the list may be endless depending on the need of the Minister, the allowance is not endless as it is paid to the Minister. Hence the domestic staff allowance is N126,650.00 which comes out to N1,519,800.00 per annum.
Entertainment allowance
It is given to ministers to spend on entertainment and other activities that enhance joy and happiness in their lives. This allowance is N75,990.00 per month and amounts to N911,880.00 per year
Benefit allowance
As the name suggests, the utility allowance is given to the minister to offset all utility bills during the period of his appointment. The remuneration for this allowance is N50,660, which works out to N607,920.00 per annum.
Security allowance.
Security is provided by the State Security Department, and therefore no allowance is made to ministers.
Monitoring allowance
The monitoring allowance amounts to N33,773.33 per month, which amounts to N405,280 per year.
Instead of newspaper
This is the amount given to the Minister to purchase any daily newspaper of his choice. The newspaper allowance amounts to N25,330 per month and N303,960.00 per year
Other allowances
Allowances and other remuneration are paid either once or for the entire period of service
The RMAFC also allowed the following benefits to ministers: N16.20 million for housing for four years, i.e. N4.05 million annually; N6.079 million for furniture. This furniture allowance is paid once every four years; 0.81 million naira for leave; And N8.1 million per car. We also have a duty to pay your N35,000 allowance which is given when needed, in addition to the Estacode allowance of $900.
Total package at the end of the year and term
The Minister’s gross monthly salary has been set at N650,135.99 including all allowances, according to RMFAC data on compensation package for members of the public sector. This means that the Minister receives 7.801 million naira annually.
According to estimates, each of the 31.2 ministers will be paid 48 million naira over four years.
A supplementary allocation of N37.28 million is given to each minister every year.
Each minister is also given an end-of-service gratuity worth N6.07 million after the end of his term.
in conclusion
Ministers' remuneration appears to be modest, especially when the current inflation rate is taken into account.
Ministers needed these basic salaries and bonuses so that they could contribute effectively and to the maximum extent possible to achieving the administration's goals and objectives.
It is worth noting that the revenues of the 48 new ministers may rise when the RMAFC reviews the salaries and wages of political office holders as proposed.
It was reported that the RMFAC has put forward a proposal to review the salaries and allowances of public office holders and it is already at its highest levels.
The proposal, which was developed during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, needs approval by two-thirds of the state assemblies before it can be presented to the president for approval.
However, cases of embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, corruption and misuse of public assets were prevalent among ministers of previous administrations. This is where you see a minister living off his earnings and wages. Most ministers use their portfolios to enrich themselves rather than working in harmony with the administration they serve and represent.