A statement from the RMAFC said the Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Bello Shehu gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto in his office in Abuja.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said it has concluded arrangements to review the remuneration of political office holders starting with the president.
A statement from the RMAFC said the Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Bello Shehu gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto in his office in Abuja.
Those to benefit from the lagesse include the president, vice president, governors and their deputies, legislators and other political office holders.
Bello noted that the functions of RMAFC in paragraph 32(D) of part 1 to the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, empower the commission to determine the remuneration appropriate to political, public and judicial office holders in the country.
He said the last time the review was carried out was in 2008, which makes it long overdue for a review.
At present, salaries of some political and public office holders are as follows: The President N14,058,820 per annum (p.a.); the Vice President N12,126,290p.a.; Ministers, SGF, HoS, Chairmen of Constitutional bodies N7,801,640:00 p.a.; Ministers of State and members of Constitutional bodies N7,536,683 p.a.; Special Advisers including speech writers N7,091,493p.a.
According to the report, it did not include their entitled allowances like accommodation, furniture, duty tour allowance, estacode, medicals, severance gratuity, leave and motor vehicle loan and what goes to their domestic staff among others.
The RMAFC boss while speaking with Journalists lamented what he described as the poor remuneration of public, political and judicial office holders which has exposed them to corrupt tendencies.
He said; “The salaries of members of the House is even worse but because they claim they are independent they packaged all sorts of allowances.
“There is a need for that review. I have seen a magistrate that earns N150,000 a month. That is a magistrate, somebody who passes judgement. Ask around, it will shock you, they are all over Nigeria, they don’t have housing, they don’t have transportation, they have very difficult conditions of service.
“I think it’s about time this is reviewed for national good because we have to be able to take care of judicial officers apart from the ministers and permanent secretaries.
“We have a middle level worker in NNPC, in CBN who earns more that a judge, that’s the reality. In some places like the NCC, no one even knows. Anybody working in NCC will never disclose their salary to you.”
“The salary of a serving minister is N500,000, housing allowance is 200 percent of the basic. I know of a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, when he left, his gratuity was N500 million. That is a life time pension”.
The RMAFC boss promised to produce a fair and credible remuneration for the affected officers.