RMAFC: Review of public officers’ remuneration almost ready – Official
President Buhari
The much awaited report on the review of salaries and allowances for political, public and judicial office holders is almost completed, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said.
Its Public Relations Officer, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, revealed this on Friday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN recalls that the Chairman of the Commission, Mr Elias Mbam, in June, inaugurated members of the Remuneration Committee to carry out the review with a mandate that the report would be ready before the end of September.
“You will recall that in the second quarter of this year, the Chairman of the Commission, Elias
Mbam, promised Nigerians that the review exercise would be completed before the end of September.
“The process has been on, I can say the whole exercise is about 95 per cent completed.
“There were some intervening variables that did not really allow us to complete it on schedule but I’m assuring Nigerians that within the next couple of days it will be ready.”
He said that the process began with literature review and extensive studies on remuneration packages for public office holders in countries that have common attributes with Nigeria.
He also said that the commission had engaged in stakeholder meetings across the country to seek the views of Nigerians because they had a stake in the project since they voted for the politicians.
“The politicians equally have a stake because they are the beneficiaries.
“So, we have been in touch with the wider cross section of Nigerians to get as many views as possible so that at the end of the day what will come out as the reviewed package will be acceptable to a large majority of Nigerians.’’
Mohammed said that the review was carried out not to satisfy Nigerians’ quest for it but because the commission had a constitutional mandate to do it, more so based on current realities.
He also said that when the draft report is ready, it would be presented to the commission’s plenary for ratification and approval before submission to the President for onward transmission to the National Assembly.
“The beauty of it is that when it is presented to the National Assembly, members of the National Assembly have no constitutional right to tamper with what we proposed for them.
“They can only tamper with what is approved for the executive and the judiciary and in so doing they cannot review it upwards above what we prescribe, they can only reduce it downward.
“Whatever we recommend for them is final.
“So that is why we are taking our time to do a thorough job so that at the end of the day Nigerians will say yes, we have done our work.
“The framers of the constitution in their wisdom provides that whatever the commission prescribes for the National Assembly cannot be tampered with by them.
“Because they cannot sit in judgement of what belongs to them, so whatever the commission prescribes is the final.’’
Mohammed, however, said that the review was not just about increase or reduction of remuneration for public office holders, but the entire package.
“There were challenges in the review exercise because most Nigerians feel that we must review it downwards.
“But the issue is we are looking at the current realities, the whole issue of the review is not just about reducing it or increasing it, but its looking at the entire package, what should be done.’’
He, however, said that decision could not be made based on sentiments but on scientific analysis which, he said, must be objective.
According to him, the review will also be based on economic indices, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other factors to make the right decisions which will be acceptable to Nigerians.
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3 Comments
@ Ibrahim Mohammed ” Is your commission just knowing the GDP of Nigeria since Buhari came in? You are all accomplice in the over bloated take-home by the national legislature. Why has it dawn on you now to compare the take-home of legislatures in other countries with same economic status? Even if the economy is booming must we revert to the days of Udoji without saving for the raining day? Your commission danced to Nigeria popular belief “rob my back I rob your back”. Your commission approved bogus salary and allowances for the legislature to enable you upped your own salary without a hoot from the legislatures. As Nigerians in diaspora, when we look at Nigeria political and so-called technocrat sense of judgments in policy related matters which are met to benefit Nigerians, we just believed you are less political and economic human than the West. Politicians in the west want the best for their people, even if it means taking from the poor countries to better their people. But in Africa the politicians and so-called technocrat are only there for their nuclear families, extended families, and at worst their ethnic regions. They take certain decisions that would only benefit them irrespective of the negative effects on the generality of the people. Their satisfactions become that of others. May God save Nigeria!
Thank you my brother you have said it all, I still can believe what the law make are making which is more than their US and UK contarp is making, fix salary like other government worker, a country which struggle to pay salary, even the minimum, some State Governor still think that 18,000.00 Naira is too much as minimum. This what you get in every religious reden country all over the world, America is not a religious country, they respect human right, like you said the Leaders are happy to serve, they know it’s an opportunity to call to serve, they don’t see themselves as above or superior to the people. Yes may God save the common man from their Leaders.
@ Adaramola… Thank you! Nigeria State is just a fraud. Where on earth would you pay tons of allowances as mentioned today to legislatures in a third world country? Buhari should look into these tons of allowances. This has nothing to do with separation of power at all. These people are bleeding Nigeria.
We will review and take appropriate action.