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RMAFC Chairman Applauds outgoing Federal Commissioners, As Members call for financial autonomy
Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Honourable Muhammed Bello Shehu, OFR, has commended the outgoing Honourable members for their patriotism and commitment to nation-building through their effort to ensure that the commission is brought to a world class standard.
In a statement issued by on Wednesday in Abuja the Commision’s Head, Information, and Public RelationsMaryam Umar Yusuf, shortly after the valedictory plenary organised in honour of the twenty outgoing members of the commission whose tenure expires today Wednesday 26th June, 2024 .
According to the statement, “It has been our wish to reposition this Commission to become a worldclass Revenue Mobilisation Commission since we came here, we are still working in progress, we have tried, we are trying and we will continue to try”
The Chairman recalled the extraordinary support that they rendered to the Commission through their contribution to the various Committees they served in, despite the fact that RMAFC as an organisation is poorly funded. He prayed to God to reward them for their sacrifices and wished that they would be reappointed so that they could continue to support the Commission.
Honourable members who spoke during the occasion eulogised the Chairman, M.B. Shehu for the achievements recorded under his stewardship.
According to them, these include the recommendation on the review of the salaries of Ambassadors and some political office holders, work on the review of the Federal Allocation Formula, staff training, and improvement of the general condition of the office.
The members however lamented the poor funding of RMAFC and called on all the stakeholders to support the bill to grant the organisation financial autonomy, which is presently before the Senate so that the commission could comfortably carry out its duties. Speaking on this challenge, the member representing Benue State, Honourable Samuel Adaa Magbe said.
“The Commission is not well funded. There is a lot of low morale among the staff of the Commission, because when you go out to monitor the activities of FIRS, the Central Bank, and so on, you see that there is a wide disparity between us and them. But I hope that the President will do something about that for this Commission to move forward.”
Another outgoing memberer, Hon. Adebayo Fari, representing Ogun State, called for adequate funding and human capital development.
He said, *”One of the major things that has been a challenge here is the funding of the organisation. Aside from that, we have the issue of human capital. There have been moves by this administration under the leadership of M.B. Shehu to actually do a lot of training, but aside from that, I think there is still a need to recruit more hands in the areas of accounting, statistics, economics and tax administration, so that they can actually build a very big capacity to do their functions very well”.
Honourable Modu Ali Juluri member representing Yobe State remarked, ” RMAFC should be treated as a Federation agency, rather than a Federal Government agency because the work that is done in RMAFC actually engages all the interests of the federation.”
He posited that RMAFC is a national Commission that all tiers of government, federal, states, and Local Governments should really be interested in and therefore added his voice to the call to adequately fund and digitalise it.
” I think the government should, first of all, digitalise RMAFC and ensure that it is well funded to carry out its activities.” He said.
The Secretary to the Commission Nwaze Joseph Okechukwu, who gave the vote of thanks, praised the Honourable Chairman for the achievements so far recorded under his watch and described the tenure of the outgoing Commissioners as worthwhile.
He noted that they were able to execute the national assignment that they were appointed to do and wished them success in their future endeavours.
The twenty outgoing members are : Dr. Chris Alonzie Akomas, Abia State, Anyang Sunday Okon, Akwa Ibom State, Chima Philip Okafor, Anambra State, Maagbe Samuel Adaa, Benue State, Ntufam Eyo-NSA Whiley Cross River State,Mr. Andrew Ogheneovo Agbaga, Delta state,Barr. Patrick Nworu Mgbebu, Ebonyi state,Mr. Victor Eboigbe, Edo state, Amujo Phillip Ajayi, Ekiti state and Mohammed Kabeer Usman, Gombe State.
Others are : Kabir Muhammad Mashi. Katsina State, Barr. Umaru Faruk Abdullahi, Kano State, Prof. Olusegun Adekunle Wright, Lagos State,Aliyu Almakura Abdulkadir. Nasarawa state Ibrahim Bako Bagudu Shettima. Niger State, Adebayo Adeniyi Fari, Ogun State, Mr. Olatokumbo Ajasin, Ondo State, Alexander Shaiyen, Plateau State, Modu-Aji Juluri, Yobe State, and Abubakar Sadiq Abdulkarim Gusau representing Zamfara state.
The members were appointed on the 26th of June 2019 for a tenure of 5 years, which expires midnight of today, the 26th of June, 2024
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Reps Security Session: Wale Raji Proposes Service Extension, Special Courts to Tackle Insecurity”
Joel Ajayi
The House of Representatives, on Thursday, intensified its search for sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges as lawmakers continued it’s Special Plenary Session dedicated to reviewing the nation’s security architecture and strengthening its legislative response to growing threats.
Contributing to the debate, Hon. Wale Raji Member Representing Epe federal constituency of Lagos State and the Chairman House committee on livestock development presented far-reaching proposal aimed at strengthening national defense and tackling the escalating wave of insecurity across the country.
Hon. Raji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the recruitment of additional personnel into the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Army. He, however, stressed that beyond new recruitment, Nigeria must urgently retain the institutional memory and field experience of officers nearing retirement.
Raji proposed an extension of service years for retiring military and police personnel—provided they are medically certified fit—arguing that their expertise is indispensable at a time when national security is under severe strain.
“New recruits will require extensive training and time to gain experience,Meanwhile, we have seasoned hands whose skills and knowledge can still be harnessed. The Public Service Rules allow for this extension, and we can consider an additional two to five years for fit and capable officers.”he noted.
The lawmaker further pushed for the establishment of Special Courts or Tribunals to handle terrorism and banditry-related cases. He recommended that investigations, trials, and convictions be conducted within a six-month window to ensure swift justice and send a strong message to criminal elements.
Hon. Raji also urged the House to accelerate constitutional amendments to make state police a reality and called for stronger integration of local governments into Nigeria’s security structure. Citing successful community-based security models from Lagos, he stressed their effectiveness in tackling local crimes and aiding prosecution.
Responding to Raji’s presentation, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu praised the recommendations as “thought-provoking,” particularly the suggestion to re-engage retired officers whose experience the nation cannot afford to waste.
Kalu said the idea could lead to the creation of a special, highly trained force led by experienced officers who left the service due to promotions or political appointments.“It is a very stimulating suggestion,We will dissect it further and reflect it appropriately in our resolutions.”he said.
The House is expected to develop concrete actions based on these proposals as Nigeria presses forward in the fight against insecurity.
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