Business

Traditional Council Pillars of Stability and Development – RMAFC Chairman

Published

12 months ago

October 9, 2024

Joel Ajayi

Chairman Revenue Allocation Mobilization And Fiscal Commission Mohamed Bello Shehu OFR, has described the traditional rulers as not only the custodians of tradition and culture but Pillars of Stability and Development in Nigeria.

The Chairman made this remark when some traditional rulers from Nasarawa State, led by His Royal Highness Abdullahi Amegwa, the Osana of Keana paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

He said, ” Prior to the colonial era, the system of government that existed in Nigeria was controlled by the traditional rulers in our various societies. The remarkable role they played not only as custodians of culture and traditions but also as development agents in various societies that formed what is known as Nigeria today can not be overemphasized. “

He therefore stressed the need to recognise the rightful position of the royal fathers and accord them a better role that will enable them to perform optimaly.

According to Shehu ” We did not get things right with the Local Government (LG) reforms of 1976 and we did not get it right with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as ammended) but I only hope and pray that the present attempt at reforming the Constitution will place a bigger role on the traditional rulers and be able to also find a way not only to fund it but to sustain it so that they will be able to hold the society together as they have done over the years”.

Earlier, Dr. Samson Gamu Yare, the Chun Mada of Akwanga who spoke on behalf of the leader of the delegation, disclosed that the inter – face with the Commission emanated from the deliberation of the Council of Chiefs in Nasarawa State, which was endorsed by the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Engineer Abdullahi Sule .

He explained that they were in the Commission to request that the 5% of the allocation to local governments, which is constitutionally approved for traditional councils, should be deducted from the source and allocated directly to the respective traditional rulers to ensure proper accountability and compliance.

The royal father said, “Even with the improvement in statutory allocation, the 5 percent allocated to Traditional Councils has continued to experience decline and that for us is a serious concern. This called for the interface and pleading from the traditional council for the commission to consider deducting the 5% charge from the source and disbursing it to the traditional councils.

“Past experiences show that the Modus operandi of deductions where any kind of formular is applied with regard to the implementation strategy is unacceptable. “

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the resilience and courage to identify with the grass root to ensure that the third tier of government is given its rightful place of pride following the Supreme Court ruling, which granted financial autonomy to Local governments as provided in the constitution of Nigeria.

He also congratulated the Chairman of the Commission and the Hon. Members for being found worthy to serve the Country in this capacity.

Speaking on the issue, some Members and Directors of the Commission at the occasion emphasised the need for clear a policy on the deduction and allocation of the 5% entitlement to the traditional councils.

After an exhaustive deliberation, the royal fathers were advised to formally write a letter to the Presidential Committee on Local Government Autonomy and copy the Commission for actionable recommendation to the Committee.

Other members of the delegation were His Royal Highness, Mahmoud Umar Bwalla, the Sangarin Shabu and His Royal Highness, Pham. Luka Panya Baba, the Esu Karu.

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Business

RMAFC Unveils New Data Rendition Template For Solid Minerals

Published

8 hours ago

October 8, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has introduced a new solid minerals data rendition template for effective monitoring of revenue from the solid mineral sector in Nigeria.

Speaking during a one day sensitisation exercise on the implementation of the new template on Tuesday in Abuja, Chairman of the Commission Dr. Muhammed Bello Shehu OFR who was represented by the Chairman of the Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee of RMAFC at the occassion reiterated the Commission’s commitment to promoting the diversification of the Nation’s revenue sources in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which aims to harness the country’s revenue potentials from other key sectors of the economy such as solid minerals, tourism, manufacturing and the blue economy.

The Chairman who underscored the importance of the new template said, “The implementation of the new data rendition template could not have come at a better time, given the current economic realities the country is facing.

The need to diversify our national revenue sources cannot be overemphasized, especially considering the nation’s over-dependence on hydrocarbon revenues, which are often affected by fluctuations in the international oil market, as well as challenges such as crude oil theft and vandalism.”

Dr. Shehu disclosed that, in line with its constitutional mandate as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Commission had conducted two nationwide solid mineral revenue monitoring exercises in 2016 and 2022 aimed at boosting revenue generation from the mining sector. He added that the exercises had considerably improved the level of revenue generation from the sector.

He, however, lamented that despite the growing scale of activities in the country’s mining sector, only a negligible amount was being remitted to the Federation Account. This, according to him, was largely due to inadequate and ineffective monitoring of mining operations.

He therefore emphasized his determination to make sure that the Commission under his leadership work assiduously to ensure that all revenues due to the Federation Account from the mining sector were fully and promptly remitted into the Federation Account.

The new data rendition template, he explained, was designed to capture and manage relevant information such as the quantity of minerals produced, details of producing companies and their locations, as well as licenses, fees, and permits paid by mining companies.

The Chairman assured that the proper utilization of this data rendition template will enhance transparency and accountability by ensuring that mining operations and revenues are effectively tracked and managed.

In his remarks, Hon. Ibrahim Shettima, Chairman, Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Niger State in the Commission stated that the event was organized to bridge identified gaps to engender the timely and accurate rendition of revenue data on a state-by-state basis by relevant government agencies and operators in the solid minerals sector.

Speaking further, Hon. Shettima explained that the exercise aimed to establish an independent, reliable data platform for the Commission and serve as a credible source for comparison and policy decision-making.

Other stakeholders such as Director Mining Inspectorate, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals,Engineer Imam Ganiu, D.G Mining Cadestre Office, Engr. Obadiah Nkom and the President of the Miners Association of Nigeria Mr. Segun Ayanleke acknowledged that Nigeria has the potential to be a key player in the global mining industry if the sector is efficiently and effectively managed. They, therefore, called for proper implementation of policies around the sector so as to achieve optimal results. They also advocate for stronger synergy between government and private stakeholders in the sector.

The high point of the event was the presentation of papers by resource persons on the general overview of the global and nigerian mining sectors, assessment of revenue contribution using data rendition, overview of the functions and activities of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (FMSMD) as a major economic driver and the functions and activities of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO).

Papers were also presented on the role and experience of the Miners Association of Nigeria and the new data rendition template as a requirement for accurate and Timely Data Reporting in the Solid Minerals Sector.

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