Fixing pay of state officials illogical, Akeredolu tells FG

•Canvasses devolution of powers, fiscal federalism
Chairman of Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ondo State helmsman, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday, described as overbearing the practice of fixing salaries and allowances of public officials at the state level by the Federal Government.

While describing the situation as unacceptable, Akeredolu said the logic of mopping up revenues accruable to states and councils in a general pool for purposes of sharing, in accordance to some Federal Government formulas, was anachronistic and retrogressive.

The governor, while making the submission at the Zonal Public Hearing on Review of the 2008 Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) in Akure, insisted that power must devolve to the federating units for the country to lay claim to being a federal state.

Akeredolu, who was represented by his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, noted that it is not sufficient for RMFAC to regulate salaries of public officials, charging the agency on conscious efforts to reduce overbearing influence of the Federal Government and its institutions on the constituent units to encourage development.

“Let every state determine salaries and allowances of its officials. Let the states control their resources and pay tax to the centre,” he stated.

The governor lamented that autonomy of the states has been greatly eroded, stressing that the Houses of Assembly have been relegated to fringes of the affairs of their states.

He continued: “The appropriation of sources of wealth of various states by agencies of the Federal Government is the fundamental reason for retardation.

“Our recent pre-independence history, and immediately after it, depicts the immense potentialities present in the various regions and the manner through which the political leaders availed themselves of them.

“The level of development attained in all these semi-autonomous political entities points at the possibilities of attaining greatness if the current structure is tinkered with to reflect true federalism”

“It is on record that public officials in the defunct South Western Region were the highest paid in the country. The visionary leaders ensured that the best were recruited to serve the people.”

On his part, RMFAC Chairman, Muhammed Bello-Shehu, named those to benefit from the review to include the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He maintained that since the last exercise in 2008, various changes had occurred in the socioeconomic indicators and other variables in the country,

“These changes have prompted the need for another review to reflect the current realities. The commission is examining the existing remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in the country in the face of public outcry and changing realities in the economy,” Bello-Shehu added.

He, therefore, assured Nigerians that the assessment was going to be fair, just and equitable in line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).