RMAFC:OVER SALARY CUT,WE CANT STOP BUHARI

Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mr. Elias Mbam

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission has said that it cannot stop President Muhammadu Buhari or any other political office holder from cutting down on their salaries and allowances.

Head of Public Relations at the agency, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent, on Monday.

The President had recently reduced his emoluments from about N14m to N7m per annum. Similarly, Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo slashed his own emoluments totalling about N12m to about N6m.

The slashes represent 50 per cent in the emoluments of the two key political office holders.

Some experts had asserted that Buhari and the Vice- President had no power to cut their emoluments since it is the constitutional responsibility of RMAFC to fix the salaries and allowances of political and public office holders.

Mohammed, however, said RMAFC cannot stop Buhari or any other political office holders from voluntarily giving up part of their emoluments even though the agency was aware of its constitutional responsibility.

He said, “The constitution is clear on who determines the salaries and wages of public office holders. However, we cannot stop any political office holder who wants to do charity from giving up part of their entitlements.

“It is a voluntary thing. Before the President took the step, the governor of Kaduna State and another governor had also announced 50 per cent reduction in their salaries and allowances.

“Since we have started the process for the review of the salaries and allowances of political office holders in the country, we take these actions as their inputs towards the review exercise.”

The late President Umar Yar’Adua had in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008 announced 20 per cent reduction in his salary and allowances and those of his cabinet members.

However, when he was reminded that he had no power to fix the salaries and wages of his cabinet members, he directed RMAFC to officially undertake the review of the emoluments of public office holders.

When the exercise was concluded, the new bill that emanated from the work of RMAFC was not passed by the National Assembly thus ending the quest to review the emolument of public office holders which are perceived by several Nigerians as unrealistic, especially in the light of the nation’s dwindling oil fortunes.