RMAFC Directs States, Local Councils to Adhere to Law in Implementation of Remuneration Package for Politicians, Others

James Emejo in Abuja

The Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr, Mohammed Shehu, yesterday directed states executive and legislature, and Local Government Councils to adhere to the provision of the law in the implementation of the remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in the country.

He said the disregard of the commission’s determined remuneration package for elected councilors at the local government level had remained a point of concern.

Shehu spoke at the opening of a one-day workshop on the role of the state executive/legislature in implementing the recommendations of RMAFC with respect to remuneration packages for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria, in Abuja.

He noted that Local Government Legislative Councils constitute the legislative arm of the third tier, adding that unlike appointed councillors that forms the Executive Council, whose remuneration is to be prescribed by the State House of Assembly based on the recommendations of the Commission, the remuneration of the Legislative arm remains within the realms of the RMAFC constitutional powers.

He said, “Accordingly, respect for the remuneration package at all levels of government will go a long way in ensuring good governance and reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria.”

He said, “Let me use this medium to emphasize the provision of Section 124 (1) & (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) because of its importance on the expected role of the States Houses of Assembly.

“Section 124(1) provides that ‘There shall be paid to the holders of the offices mentioned in this section such remuneration and salaries as may be prescribed by a House of Assembly, but not exceeding the amount as shall have been determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’.

“Section 124(4) provides that ‘The offices aforesaid are the offices of the Governor; Deputy Governor, Auditor-General for a State and the Chairman and members of the following bodies, that is to say, the State Civil Service Commission, the State Independent Electoral Commission and the State Judicial Service Commission’.

“In this respect, this section categorically empowers the State Assembly to deliberate and pass the reviewed remuneration package from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission’s recommendations into law in their respective States.”

Shehu further explained that the commission produced the maiden Remuneration Packages for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria in the year 2000, adding that the reports were passed into Law by the National Assembly under the title “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Act, 2002”.

He said a review of the reports was made in 2007 and passed into Law as “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Amendment Act, 2008”. Efforts were made by the Commission in 2015, 2019 and April, 2023 to review the Reports but were not successful.

However, in October, 2023, the commission reviewed the remuneration of judicial office holders. After due legislative process, the National Assembly passed the Bill on the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.).

According to him, President Bola Tinubu, in August, 2024, assented to the Bill and is now referred to as Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.) Act, 2024 – in keeping to his promise for a sound and independent Judiciary for the country.

Shehu said the commission had observed lapses in the implementation of the remuneration reports at the state and local government levels as contained in the report of a Pilot Monitoring Exercise it carried out in 2019.

He said, “For instance, whereas Remuneration Act was enacted at the Federal Level for the purpose of Political, Public and Judicial office holders at that level and the Federal Capital Territory, most states across the country adopted the commission’s recommendation as contained in its reports without the required legislative action or enactment of state laws.

“This action, contravened the Constitutional provision with respect to remuneration of the executive at the state and local government levels.

“Equally, the commission, has on a continuous basis, receives complaints, requests for clarifications in implementing the recommendations contained in its reports and/or investigations of violation of the same recommendations by ICPC or EFCC against officials of the states and local governments.”

Therefore, the RMAFC boss said the workshop aimed to address these observations.