RMAFC, which is in charge of sharing revenue allocation among the three tiers of government, paid staff salaries last in October, despite other federal government workers receiving their December salaries on the 22nd of the month.
The staff of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), celebrated the Yuletide season without two months’ salaries, unlike other workers in federal institutions and agencies.
According to Daily Post, RMAFC, which is in charge of sharing revenue allocation among the three tiers of government, paid staff salaries last in October, despite other federal government workers receiving their December salaries on the 22nd of the month.
Some staff of the commission, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they were celebrating the festivities without funds to provide food for their families especially as their salaries were deferred.
A senior staff member informed that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for December had been inaugurated, “but it is so unfortunate that we have not been paid November salaries. Other federal government ministries are receiving their salaries as and when due.”
Another top source in the commission also told disclosed that the issue of non-payment of salaries was due to the poor budget presentation of RMAFC in the 2021 appropriation.
The source said the issue of the non-payment of two months salaries and delay of October salary was due to the negligence of financial experts in the commission, including the Director of Finance and Accounting, adding that the true figure of staff take-home was not properly presented in the 2021 budget.
The RMAFC, according to the source, was short-changed by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS).
“Nobody was alerted until the dying minute, from when they realised that they will not be paid from September or October and that is when they started raising alarm and we started running helter-skelter but we are still here.
“Our staff are seriously suffering. Unfortunately, we don’t have Commissioners that can protect the commission. They are only representing their pocket, forgetting that issues relating to staff matters are not considered. The workers are suffering. As I am talking to you, the meetings they (the management) have are on trivial matters.”
When contacted, the Director of Finance and Accounting at the RMAFC, Mallam Baliatu Iliasu denied the accusation that the non-payment of staff salaries was due to his negligence or that of his department.
He claimed the problem came from the IPPIS payment system which is responsible for the disbursement of salaries.
“The IPPIS pay salaries, we don’t prepare payroll or anything ours is just to receive salaries at the end of the month.”
Iliasu disclosed that the Minister of Finance had set up a committee “but they didn’t give us the report about it. We will try to find out where the problem is.”