Political office holders ready for new remuneration ~ RMAFC
By Elegbede Abiodun
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), had said on Thursday that it has finalised work on a new remuneration for political office others in the country which it has submitted to the President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Bello Shehu who disclosed this at a budget defence of the agency before the House Committee on Finance said the new proposal which is for Ministers and political office holders will soon be forwarded to the National Assembly by the President.
He said the agency is also working on “vertical, horizontal revenue sharing formula. We are also on that. We will conclude this year”
Shehu who gave update on the ongoing review of revenue allocation formula for the three tiers of government as well as remuneration for political office holders, saying: “very soon we will conclude. We have done everything. We have concluded. We are just about to finish analyzing the data and bring it before you.”
He said “We hope that very soon this will be transmitted to you so that it becomes law. Of course, your own doesn’t require any legislation. It’s for Ministers and others”.
He expressed concern over the interferance of state governments in the fiscal governance of the Local Government Areas over the years, saying “the Commission would like to establish a Local Government Committee now like we used to do before the Supreme Court said we were busy bodies. Now we will monitor every single Local Government in Nigeria.
“I’m glad that Mr. President spoke to the Governors himself, that if you don’t allow this then I will issue an Executive Order. So, the Commission is fully in support of Mr. President over this course.
“The crisis we are having in Nigeria today is lack of functionality of Local Governments and every single one of us knows this. Even under the military the Local Governments will perform much more better. So I thank you profoundly sir, it’s your committee that initiated this.
“Three years ago when we came we were telling you, you (Faleke) said chairman you can handle this and you guided me and I followed your advice and the rest is a success so we are grateful to this also.”
“I sincerely thank this committee for what you have done to Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. You have brought us out. We are now being respected by almost all the revenue generating agencies in Nigeria.
“Even before we knock now, they are knocking at our doors, having discussions with us and some of the issues that have been over the years are being addressed by some of these revenue generating agencies, whether it is the Nigerian Customs, NUPRC and other agencies.
“So I thank you profoundly and I think you have done a great service to Nigeria and this is just the beginning. I will now go to the document before you.”
Shehu notified the lawmakers that the agency was carrying out an audit of the nation’s oil assets in the Niger Delta.
He said: “what you have done to us and to Nigeria, your name will go down in gold, sir. We are being respected by all revenue generating agencies. Anywhere we go now, everybody is like shivering trying to really identify with us.
“For the first time, like the verification that we are doing of oil wells all across the Niger Delta region has never been done. The equipment that we have, not even new precursors. No Governor now will say, when you come to my state, you have to beg me where even we are going to stay, provide vehicles and things like that. Now we can do that, sir. My people, sir, spent three to four months in the field.
“Some of them went to the creek water up to here, sir, to identify those oil assets that we have in Nigeria. And by the time we finish, sir, when Mr. President receives this report, this country will shake, sir. And I’m not making it up. I have provided you with an internal report, but I don’t want to let the cart out of the bag, sir. So this is remarkable, sir.”
