RMFAC retains basic pay for political office holders

bibing

AGAINST public expectations, the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) has retained the basic pay package of political and judicial officers in the country, though its out-going Chairman, Elias Mbam, an engineer said certain allowances have been scrapped and others revised downward in line with the current economic realities in the country.

Mbam, against entireties declined to let out the key highlights of the new pay package still under wraps, explaining that a bill to legitimize the package was being prepared by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for onward transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari and subsequent presentation to the National Assembly.

He argued that it was improper for the President to be reading the adjusted pay package in the press without the benefit of hindsight.

Mbam whose first five – year tenure ended yesterday was speaking at a ceremony in Abuja where he catalogued the commission’s achievement under his tenure.

The information on the new pay package for political and judicial officers came on a day the new Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun inaugurated the eight – member Efficiency Unit Steering Committee to cut down on waste in public finance administration in Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAs) of Government.

She also directed the committee headed by a Director in the Debt Management Office, Mrs. Patience Oniha to set up a uniform ceiling and spending limit for every recurrent item of the budget which at the moment does not exist as there are varied spending costs for the same items like air tickets for the same destination or ream of papers between one agency of government and another.

The committee is headed by a Director in the Debt Management Office, Mrs. Patience Oniha .
Speaking on the achievements by his team, Mbam said: “ I am pleased to say that since coming on board, we have achieved reasonable results in actualizing these objectives.
“Some of the achievements include the following: Revenue monitoring and reconciliation exercises; review of revenue allocation formula and determination of remuneration package for political office holders.

Sections 70, 84, 111 and 124 as well as Paragraph 32 (d) of Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) empowers the Commission to “determine the Remuneration Appropriate for Political Office Holders including the President, Vice-President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the Holders of Offices mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of this Constitution.” The implementation of the above responsibility resulted in the enactment of “Certain Political, Pubic and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008.

The review of the 2008 Remuneration Packages has been completed while the accompanying draft bill as appropriate is being finalized before formal presentation to Mr. President for further necessary actions,” he assured.

Source: TheGuardian