The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission RMAFC, is the regulatory agency charged with determining the salaries and allowances of public officers and political appointees.
The agency is also saddled with monitoring of revenues accruals as well as determined the formula to be used in sharing revenue allocations to states and local government .
The appointment of Mohammed Bello Shehu in June by President Muhammadu Buhari came after the expiration of the tenure of Mr Elias Mba, the two term chairman of the commission spanned for ten years.
Few months on the saddle of leadership of the commission, Shehu had already heat the ground running by breaking the jinx of performance and expectations of the revenue allocation hub , the most brisk in recent times, but a show of astute administrator per excellence in public service.
For a decade at the mantle of leadership, what his predecessor could not attain or achieve in office, Shehu uniquely realised his feat and fit towards the positive development, particularly the recent proposal to review salaries and allowances of political appointees, public officers in Nigeria, to address the growing agitations from the political class.
The over a decade demand from the political class had been saddled with so many variables ranging from the exigency of the office, and particularly to discourage corrupt tendencies by public and political office holders whose positions are tenured.
The planned upward review announced by the new leadership of remunerations of political office holders from the President to Local Government councillors will be the best thing that will happen to the country in the current dispensation.
This was occasioned by the archaic nature of the previous remunerations that could not stand the taste of time and realities, hence militating on the smooth running of government offices from bottom to top as a result of the devised sharp practices to mitigate the outdated remunerations at all levels.
Shehu determined to achieve greater results in the new RMAFC justified the decision, while he stated that a situation where by some political appointees earned more than the country’s President was already outdated and an abberation as well as serious anomaly, if not a misnomer.
His insistence inspite of criticisms from the civil class was in the best interest of the country, as leadership at all levels needed alot of impetus and encouragement to deliver government policies and programs without hesitation.
With planned achievements to jerk up the payments for political office holders from President downward, it had reduced the jobs of the anti graft agencies in its determination to fight bribery and corruption at the corridor of governance in Nigeria.
He has also succeeded in ressolving the age long agitations for frequent demands for salary reviews from political office holders, an excuse that had led to pilfering and tinkering with public funds.
With the current feat, no doubt Mohammed Belo Shehu leadership will not hesitate to take another milestone decisions in the determination of the new revenue formula being agitated within the period under review, that the previous leadership in RMAFC could not muster both administrative and managerial courage to achieve for a decade.
It is on record that a town hall meeting was organised in the six geopolitical zones by RMAFC, with nothing to show interms of decisions towards the expiration of the previous leadership in the commission.
As a goal getter, with his administrative wisdom and zeal to achieve results, the new leadership in RMAFC under Shehu will without further delay introduced a new revenue formula to Nigerians that will take over from the previous outdated formula being deployed to governments at all levels .
It is on record that the new helmsman has rejigged the stabilisation funds to states to achieve emergencies among other commitments.
The stabilisation funds also undergoing review is meant to address the gap of underdevelopment, commitment of state governments meant to achieve projects implementation and initiatives across all strata of the country.
No doubt , the next few years in RMAFC under the new leadership of Mohammed Bello Shehu will be the best thing that will happen to the commission, having kicked the ground running with major and desired decisions that will move the country forward.
YUSUF writes from Abuja,he can be reached on [email protected].
