Business
18 Years After: RMAFC moves to review president, governors, lawmakers’ pay
By Babajide Komolafe, Economy Editor
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has completed the review of the remuneration of political office holders, 18 years after their salaries were last reviewed by law, saying the proposed new remuneration and revenue allocation Bills will reach the National Assembly before the end of the year.
Chairman of RMAFC, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, disclosed this yesterday at a breakfast session with members of the Guild of Editors in Lagos.
Shehu said the remuneration review covered the president, governors, deputy governors, legislators and other political office holders, stressing that the existing salary structure was based on legislation dating back to 2007/2008.
“From 2008 to date, the salaries of not only legislators but also ministers, governors and the President have not been reviewed by law”, he said.
“The Commission attempted to review them twice — once in 2013 and again in 2022. But both President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari, for whatever reasons, were unable to transmit the review to the National Assembly.
“Where we are now, as far as we know and as far as every organisation is aware, the salaries of legislators — senators and members of the House of Representatives — still remain those contained in the Act of 2007/2008. They have not changed”.
According to him, the latest review has been completed and is being processed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“We have completed the process. Very soon, the President will receive the package and it will be transmitted to the National Assembly.
“We have sent a copy to Mr. President. We have also gone to the Ministry of Justice. They have drafted a new Act. They have drafted a new one and sent it back to us. We are looking at it to ensure conformity with what we have done.
“After that, we will take it to Mr. President and say: ‘Sir, we think it is time for you to send this to the National Assembly for them to make it an Act.’”
Shehu argued that the prolonged stagnation of political office holders’ salaries was no longer sustainable, noting that the cost of living had changed considerably since 2008.
“The Commission is an advocate of fair wages for fair work. If you give a minister less than N1 million a month, come on, that is not reasonable.
“The salary of a minister is less than N1 million a month. My commissioners here are Federal Commissioners, and their salaries are also less than N1 million a month. These salaries have not been reviewed from 2008 to date”.
He added that better remuneration could help reduce incentives for corruption.
“I believe that political office holders should be paid something reasonable so that they can operate effectively and reduce the temptation for corruption.
“You cannot have the salary of this class of people stagnant from 2008 until now. And anytime you say you want to raise it, everybody will react negatively. What you are effectively doing is allowing them to go and become corrupt for whatever they want to do. That is not good for the system.”
On revenue allocation, Shehu said RMAFC had also completed a new formula designed to reflect additional responsibilities being assumed by state governments.
His words: “We have made adjustments, and now we have completed the process. Mr. President is aware. We are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to draft the enabling Act. Once it is ready, Mr. President will transmit it to the National Assembly.
“My members here, the Plenary of the Commission, have approved the new formula”.
He said the Commission expected the remuneration and revenue allocation Bills to be ready before the end of the year.
LG autonomy
On local government autonomy, Shehu said RMAFC had established monitoring committees for both state and local governments to ensure proper utilisation of allocations.
“The Commission used to monitor local governments previously, and we have now set up a Local Government Monitoring Committee and a State Monitoring Committee.”