The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on Thursday stressed the need for review of salaries and allowances of public office holders in accordance with current economic realities facing the country.
The call was made by the Public Relations Officer of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Mohammed recalled that the last time the commission reviewed the remuneration of public officers was in 2007 when President Umaru Yar’Adua directed that his salary as president should be slashed.
Due to changes in economic realities, "we feel it is high time we do something again. In this regard, we have already sent out memoranda for input from the general public, including the media, civil society, academia, organised private sector and the three tiers of government.’’ Mohammed said.
He further urged Nigerians to participate in the exercise. “We want every Nigerian to take ownership of this review that is why we are seeking citizens’ input into the review exercise. Nigerians should feel free to send their views on how the salaries and allowances should look like to our office or through provided email addresses.
"We will look at the economic indices like the Gross Domestic Product, the price of oil in the international market"
Sections 84 and 124 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the RMAFC to determine the remuneration appropriate for public office holders. The public officers include the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers and legislators.
(NAN)
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