The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has called for the amendment of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act to empower it to monitor revenue accruals to and disbursement from the Federation Account.
In a statement in Lagos on behalf of the Civil Society Coalition Against Corruption, the Chairman of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said the RMAFC Act, CAP. R7 LFN 2010 should reviewed to conform with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended).
He urged President Bola Tinubu to assent into law the revised Bill, which passed by the 9thth Assembly at the twilight of the Buhari administration.
The Bill prescribes that the RMAFC shall be wholly funded by the three tiers of government being beneficiaries of the Federation Account.
As one of the 14 executive bodies recognized under the 1999 Constitution, the group identified RMAFC as one of the most poorly funded statutory agencies compared to others, like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Population Commission (NPC), and National Assembly.
Some of its powers and functions include to monitor the accruals of federally-generated revenues to the Federation Account and ensure its disbursement to the three tiers of government, namely federal, state and local governments.
Also, the Commission is mandated to, from time to time, review the revenue allocation formulae and principles in operation to ensure conformity with changing realities; determine remuneration packages appropriate for political, public and judicial office holders as well as advise governments at all levels on ways to improve their internally-generated revenues.
The role the Commission plays in the nation’s political economy contributes to the democratization process, encourage good governance, transparency and accountability and the development in the country.
Adeniran said to perform its role effectively, the Commission regularly carries out extensive and in-depth research and studies in various areas of the nation’s political economy through calls for memoranda, consultations, sensitization workshops, collection and collation of data, studies of other similar Federations in respect of fiscal arrangements, public hearings and administration of questionnaires.
These activities, Adeniran said, involve huge expenditure, as the Commission usually visits all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, as well as the 774 Local Council across the country to sensitize Nigerians to make input into the review process.
Despite all these functions, the coalition said one of the major challenges faced by the Commission was the absence of financial autonomy and weak regulatory framework which directly hinders the effective and efficient performance of its operations.
He said the annual budgetary allocation for the financing of the Commission’s activities over the years has always been grossly inadequate guarantee the protection of its independence and cater for its nationwide field operations.
“The sensitive nature of the Commission’s role in Nigeria’s Fiscal management requires a large measure of independence, including financial autonomy,” he said.
“In all honesty, how do you expect RMAFC to effectively monitor the agencies under its authority without being ridiculed given the impoverished working conditions of their staff? How can the Commission attract top rate graduates and experienced hands like those in the MDAs they are supposed to oversight? How can they deploy top-notch ICT infrastructure, like those obtained in FIRS, Customs, and NNPCL?” the Chairman added.
CACOL stressed that in view of the overriding importance of RMAFC’s role in stabilizing the nation’s political and socio-economic development since inception, there was the need to adequately fund the Commission through increased budgetary allocation and placement on first line charge to enable it to effectively supervise revenue generating agencies, such as FIRS, NNPCL, Customs as well as carry out its other constitutional duties.
The group said the only viable option to put the Commission on a strong financial footing was for President Tinubu to assent to the new RMAFC Bill.
The Coalition was optimistic that when eventually signed into law it would reposition the Commission and empower it to perform optimally with the removal of financial, legal and regulatory encumbrances.
