The implementation of the 2019 report on the reviewed remuneration package for all political, public and judicial office holders failed in most of the States and Local Governments in the country as a result of failure to adhere to the Constitutional provisions on the matter, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) has said.
The Chairman of the Commission, MB Shehu said in Abuja on Thursday that a pilot monitoring exercise carried out by the Commission in 2019 revealed that most states merely adopted the recommendations contained in the report without enacting the required State Laws Remuneration Act to guide the,
Shehu said the Commission observed that whereas the Remuneration Act was enacted at the Federal Level for political, public and judicial office holders at the Federal level, the refusal by most states to enact similar laws at the state level for the purpose of implementation of the review package for the Executive at the State and Local Government levels contravened the Constitutional provisions.
Also, he said the Commission received several complaints and requests for clarifications on the implementation of the recommendations contained in its Reports as well as investigations of violations of the recommendations by the anti-graft agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against officials of the States and Local Governments.
The RMAFC Chairman who spoke at the opening of the on-day workshop on “the Role of the state Executive/Legislature in implementing the recommendations of the RMAFC with respect to remuneration package for political, Public and judicial office holders in Nigeria” said it became necessary to organise the workshop to enlighten key stakeholders in the State Executive/Legislature and other operators on the implementation of the remuneration package as provided in the Commission’s Remuneration Reports.
Besides, he said workshop was to provide clarifications on some grey areas and other challenges the stakeholders might have experienced in implementing the remuneration package as well as advise the Executive and Legislative Arms at the State level on the need to adhere strictly to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In pursuance to Paragraph 32 (d) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the functions of the Commission, Shehu said the maiden Remuneration Packages for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria was produced in year 2000, while the Reports were passed into Law by the National Assembly under the title “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Act, 2002”.
A review of the Reports carried out in 2007 and passed into Law as “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) Amendment Act, 2008, while similar efforts to review the Reports in 2015, 2019 and April 2023 proved abortive.
However, in October 2023, he said the Commission reviewed the Remuneration of Judicial Office Holders following the passage of the Bill on the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.). by the National Assembly and an assented in August 2024 by the President of the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.) Act, 2024.
In carrying out the review, he said the Commission was guided by the principles of equity and fairness, to ensure all political, public and judicial office holders received justifiable and equitable remuneration in accordance with their respective responsibilities; risk and responsibilities, to ensure their remunerations were commensurate with the risk and respective responsibilities attached to each office, and national order of precedence, to ensure their remunerations properly aligned to the relative status of the job.
Other considerations, he said, included motivation, to ensure their remunerations were capable of attracting and retaining the right calibre of manpower as well as encourage them to lead and live an honest life; tenure of office, to ensure their remuneration took into consideration tenure of office and length of time; reasonableness and ability to pay, to ensure their remunerations were reasonable and affordable in the context of available resources and within the means of the government treasury.
Consequently, he urged State and Local Government legislatures to adhere strictly with the provisions of the law enshrined in the Constitution, by ensuring that the remunerations and salaries prescribed for the Governor, Deputy Governor, Auditor-General for a State and the Chairmen and members of the State Civil Service Commission, the State Independent Electoral Commission and the State Judicial Service Commission do not exceed the amount determined by RMAFC.
“The disregard of the Commission’s determined remuneration package for elected Councillors at the Local Government level has remained a point of concern to the Commission. Local Government Legislative Councils constitute the Legislative Arm of the third tier. Unlike appointed Councillors that forms the Executive Council, whose remuneration is to be prescribed by the State House of Assembly based on the recommendations of the Commission, the remuneration of the Legislative arm remains within the realms of the Commission constitutional powers. Accordingly, respect for the remuneration package at all levels of government will go a long way in ensuring good governance and reduce the cost of governance in Nigeria,” he said.
