The Federal Government has insisted on going ahead with the review of salaries and allowances for President Bola Tinubu, state governors, lawmakers, and other political office holders, despite mounting public criticism.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on Thursday commenced a retreat in Kano to deliberate on a new remuneration framework for political, public, and judicial office holders across the federation.
In a statement at the opening session, Mohammed Kabeer Usman, Chairman of the Commission’s Remuneration and Monetisation Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Gombe State, defended the exercise as both constitutional and necessary.
He said the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empowers RMAFC to determine appropriate remuneration packages for political, public, and judicial office holders at all tiers of government, stressing that the review was informed by economic realities and comparative practices in other countries.
According to him, the commission had conducted wide consultations, including memoranda from stakeholders, ministerial submissions, and public hearings, before arriving at its recommendations. He added that the process was not only about numbers but also about ensuring sustainability and affordability for government finances.
“The commission has analysed the capacity of government to implement the review package, ensuring that recommendations remain fair, realistic, and sustainable,” he said.
The retreat also mandated the committee to harmonise previous reports and addenda into a single framework for implementation. Usman urged participants to deploy their expertise towards producing a balanced outcome that would strengthen governance.
Those present at the retreat included commissioners representing various states such as Adamu Fanda (Kano), Henry Nduka Awuregu, Aruviere Egharhevwa (Delta), Hassan Usman Mahmud (Kaduna), Hauwa Umar Aliyu (Jigawa), Professor Steve Davies Ugbah (Benue), Abdulazeez Idris King (Kogi), Aliyu Abdulkadir (Nasarawa), and Nathaniel Adojutelegan (Ondo), alongside the Committee Secretary and Director of Fiscal Efficiency, Dr Tanimu Adamu Aliyu.