JUST IN: Buhari Swears In RMAFC Chair, Presides Over FEC

Before the commencement of the hybrid Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday he swore in the chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Bello, at the council chambers of the State House.

Those physically present at the meeting which started at 10 am are the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mungonu (retd)

Also present are Ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Others are Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, Niger Delta, Umana Umana, Power, Abubakar Aliyu, Sports, Sunday Dare, Water Resources, Suliaman Adamu, Science and Technology, Olorunibe Mamora.

Others are Ministers of Water Resources, Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar, Aviation, Sirika, Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite and Minister of State Education, Goodluck Opia.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan and other ministers are attending virtually from their various offices in Abuja.

Speaking to State House Correspondents after the brief ceremony, the RAMFC chairman, while admitting that the task ahead is challenging, assured that the commission will assist the Buhari administration to get more revenue for the Federation, block leakages, implement the constitutional responsibility of the Commission, which includes monitoring of accruals to Federation account and disbursement, and also monetisation, taking care of the salaries of political office holders, and judicial officers, as enshrined in the Constitution that had not been reviewed since 2008 (29 years). And I think there is agitation for that.

“The task is challenging. We all know the situation that Nigeria is, or even globally when you look at contemporary African countries like South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Egypt, all the economic issues that are facing including Nigeria,” Bello said.

“We had the COVID-19, we had a recession, we now have the war with Ukraine, which has affected many countries and revenues are down all over.

“So our task, as revenue mobilisation is how we can assist Mr President, to get more revenue for the Federation, block leakages, looking at the constitutional responsibility of the Commission, which of course are, monitoring of accruals to Federation account and disbursement, and also monetisation, taking care of the salaries of political office holders, and judicial officers, as enshrined in the Constitution that had not been reviewed since 2008. And I think there is agitation for that.

“And also, from time to time, come up with a new revenue allocation formula, which the commission successfully did, sometimes I think, in February this year, and we have submitted our report to Mr President. What he stated at that time was that he was waiting to see what the National Assembly will do in terms of looking at the concurrent list and exclusive list and constitutional amendment.

“If he’s satisfied with what the National Assembly does, he will forward a recommendation and make it an Act so that it becomes a law.

“Revenue allocation formula had not been touched for about 29 years, the Constitution says after a period of five years it can be reviewed, looking at the circumstances of the country, you know, more states have been created.

“And also our other responsibility, like monitoring of Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministry of Finance, Customs, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), those are a huge task for the commission. And of course, don’t forget that revenue mobilisation is also a statutorily member in the Joint Tax Board, local government joint account, ecological fund and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“Our task is how we can get more revenue for Mr President. I know there is a lot of debate on whether there is an operating surplus, like some of the agencies of government will claim that what they are getting is a surplus of revenue. Revenue is revenue as far as the commission is concerned.

“So my task is to get our members to respond to the task that Mr President gave them in 2019 when he swore in the new board that try as much as possible to get more revenue and strengthen your monitoring mechanism. That is what we are going to do with all the stakeholders Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Federal Ministry of Finance, every revenue generating agency, we have to collaborate and corroborate to be able to assist Mr President to get more revenue before he leaves office. This is a task that should be done by every meaningful member of the commission.”

On what he was assuring the president as he assumes duty, The RAMFC chairman said: “Well, I can assure him that the commission, as one of the 14 constitutional Commissions will do whatever it takes to assist him to look for more revenues before he leaves office. And also we will maintain our independence like it had been enshrined in the Constitution.“