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RMAFC Chairman Applauds outgoing Federal Commissioners, As Members call for financial autonomy

Published

2 years ago

June 26, 2024

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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Eight Athletes, 11 Medals: Applauding Asagba’s Sports Leadership At DELSU

Published

2 weeks ago

October 14, 2026

The Gleamer

By Godspower Odedede

Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, has recorded an impressive outing at the 15th West Africa University Games (WAUG) 2026, winning 11 medals with just eight athletes who represented the university in only three sporting events.

The university won seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals to occupy seventh position on the medal table, an achievement that underscores the potential of its athletes and the importance of purposeful investment in university sports.

DELSU participated in the men’s 100-metre sprint with two athletes, women’s judo with two athletes, and swimming with four male athletes. Despite the limited number of athletes and sporting events, the university’s medal haul was a commendable performance and a source of pride for the institution.

The achievement deserves particular recognition given the restricted scope of DELSU’s participation. With representation in only three sports, the university demonstrated that focused preparation, adequate support and the effective deployment of available talent can produce encouraging results at major university competitions.

A major highlight of DELSU’s preparation for WAUG 2026 was the approval by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, for a quality two-week training programme for the university’s athletes in Asaba.

The camp provided the athletes with an opportunity to prepare using the excellent and up-to-date training facilities available in the state capital.

The initiative is particularly noteworthy as it represents a significant commitment to structured preparation for university sports. Rather than relying solely on athletes’ natural abilities, the training programme recognised the importance of preparation, access to appropriate facilities and institutional investment in performance.

Professor Asagba deserves commendation for this intervention and for demonstrating a willingness to provide practical support for sports development at DELSU. The university’s WAUG performance offers an encouraging indication of what can be achieved when athletes receive purposeful preparation and administrative backing.

The Vice-Chancellor’s broader vision for sports infrastructure is also encouraging. Plans are understood to be underway for the construction of an ultra-modern sports complex for the university in the near future. If delivered as anticipated, the facility could significantly strengthen DELSU’s capacity for athlete development, training, competitions and sports science activities.

Such infrastructure would also support the university’s ambitions to improve its performance at national and international university games. A modern sports complex could provide a foundation for more systematic talent identification, performance monitoring, coaching development and the preparation of athletes across a wider range of sporting events.

Special recognition must also go to Mrs Epebi-Ebi Noah, the swimming coach, who was physically present at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, with the DELSU swimming team during the competition. Her presence and involvement underline the importance of coaching support, technical guidance and close supervision of athletes during major sporting events.

The performance also calls for commendation of the Chairman of the University Sports Committee, Professor Ochuko Nabofa, whose leadership has brought renewed attention and energy to sports development at DELSU. His role in supporting the university’s sports administration and helping to strengthen the sporting environment deserves recognition.

Similarly, the Acting Director of Sports, Peter Omojuwa, deserves commendation for his administrative responsibilities and contribution to the university’s sporting programme. The Chief Coach, Lucky Ajaino, should also be recognised for his role in the technical preparation and development of DELSU athletes.

The combined efforts of the university management, sports committee, sports administrators and coaches are essential to sustaining progress. While medals provide a visible measure of success, the systems established to prepare athletes and support their development are equally important to the long-term growth of university sports.

DELSU’s WAUG achievement follows another notable outing at the last Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) Games, where the university finished fourth. That result was regarded as one of the finest performances in the institution’s sporting history and strengthened expectations that DELSU could become an even more formidable force in university sports.

The latest WAUG performance provides another reason for optimism. However, the university’s participation in only three events also reveals an opportunity for further growth. Expanding participation across more sports, identifying talented students and improving access to specialised training could help DELSU compete for a higher position on future medal tables.

The proposed sports complex, if realised, could play a central role in this expansion. It should ideally be supported by sustained funding, modern equipment, qualified coaches, athlete welfare programmes and collaboration with relevant sports science professionals. These measures would help ensure that infrastructure investment translates into measurable improvements in performance.

The university could also consider strengthening performance analysis, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, talent identification and systematic monitoring of athletes’ progress. Such an approach would help transform individual successes into a sustainable university-wide sports development programme.

DELSU’s performance at WAUG 2026 is worthy of celebration. Eight athletes competed in just three sporting events and returned with 11 medals, including seven gold. The result reflects the potential within the university and provides a strong basis for building a more ambitious sports programme.

Professor Asagba’s approval of the two-week training camp and the prospect of an ultra-modern sports complex offer reasons to look forward to the next phase of DELSU sports development. The challenge now is to sustain the momentum, broaden participation and ensure that the university’s sporting ambitions are matched by consistent investment and effective implementation.

With continued support from the Vice-Chancellor, the University Sports Committee, the Directorate of Sports, coaches and other stakeholders, DELSU can build on its recent achievements and strengthen its position among Nigeria’s leading sporting universities.

The message from WAUG 2026 is clear: DELSU has demonstrated what a small but well-supported contingent can achieve. With broader participation, sustained preparation and modern sporting infrastructure, the university has the potential to accomplish even greater things.

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