Having successfully concluded the review of the remuneration of judicial office holders, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has begun a retreat in Kano to harmonise reports that will help it come up with appropriate remuneration packages for political and public office holders.
Declaring the retreat open, the Chairman of the RMAFC Monetisation Committee, Mohammed Kabeer Usman, who also serves as the Federal Commissioner representing Gombe State, highlighted the importance of the assignment to the stability and growth of Nigeria’s governance structure.
Usman reminded participants that the 1999 Constitution empowers the Commission to determine appropriate remuneration for political, public and judicial office holders at all levels. He noted that the Commission had earlier taken some steps towards the review of the remuneration package to reflect prevailing economic realities.
“The Commission carefully considered a wide range of perspectives, including memoranda from stakeholders, public hearings, and ministerial submissions, while also drawing from economic indicators and remuneration practices in other countries,” he said.
He explained that the review was not only about figures but also about sustainability and affordability.
“The Commission has equally analysed the capacity of government to implement the review package, ensuring that recommendations remain fair, realistic and sustainable,” he stated.
Speaking further, Usman said the Committee was directed to harmonise the earlier report and subsequent addendum into a single document to provide a clear and comprehensive framework for implementation.
He appealed to members to bring their diverse experiences and knowledge to bear, saying the retreat must produce outcomes that are balanced and beneficial to all.
“I implore everyone to contribute towards achieving the purpose of our gathering, given our varied knowledge and wealth of experience,” he said.
The retreat is expected to set a sustainable framework for political, public and judicial office holders’ remuneration in line with the mandate of the Commission.
Present at the retreat are RMAFC federal commissioners – Adamu Fanda, Henry Nduka Awuregu, Aruviere Egharhevwa, Hassan Usman Mahmud and Hauwa Umar Aliyu. Others were Prof. Steve Davies Ugbah, Abdulazeez Idris King, Aliyu Abdulkadir and Nathaniel Adojutelegan.
On Monday, while addressing the media on the take-off of the review of the revenue allocation formula for the three tiers of government, RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the last time the remuneration of political office holders was reviewed was in 2008.
“You cannot pay a minister less than N1 million per month since 2008 and expect him to put in his best without necessarily being involved in some other things. You pay either a CBN governor or the DG ten times more than you pay the President. That is just not right. Or you pay him [the head of an agency] twenty times higher than the Attorney-General of the Federation. That is not right,” Shehu said.
