The Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has absolved itself of any blame on the controversial huge salaries drawn by members of the National Assembly.
Elias Mbam, chairman of the commission, while answering questions from journalists at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday, said the commission fixed salaries for lawmakers in line with what is obtainable elsewhere in the world. He, however, stated that the commission is not involved in the controversial issue of constituency allowances for lawmakers.
"It is not in doubt whether the commission has determined the remuneration of political office holders including that of the National Assembly and it is in the public domain. But they are bringing the issues of constituency allowance, issues of overhead, and so on. That is not the work of the commission. I have often referred them to the Accounting Officer of the National Assembly, who is the Clerk," he said.
Remuneration for public officers
Speaking on the popular calls made by the public that political offices should be made less attractive by reducing the remuneration packages of political office holders, Mr. Mbam told journalists that the commission has been fair in assessing the remuneration of public office holders in the country.
"We are not going to be living differently from other parts of the world. The commission has been fair in assessing the remuneration of the public office holders. In line with what other civil servants in and outside Nigeria take, I think we have been fair and we will continue to be fair," he added.
Not auditors
Mr. Mbam, who also said members of the public were not properly informed about the constitutional responsibilities of the commission, stated that it does not audit public account.
"Generally, I think there are some misconceptions about the roles of the commission. It determines the allowances of public office holders but some misconstrue it to mean that the commission are auditors," he said.
The commission's chairman also noted that the remuneration of political office holders including members of the National Assembly are in the public domain, urging members of the public to verify them if in doubt.
On the review of the revenue formula, Mr. Mbam said a committee has already been constituted to look into the issue, adding that the committee will start work on the review immediately.
The large allowances have prompted calls from many Nigerians including former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for the government to reduce the cost of running the National Assembly. Mr. Obasanjo said he believed senators were earning as much as N250 million per annum.
The first salvo
At the eighth convocation lecture of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, in November last year, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the governor of the Central Bank, had blamed the nation's economic troubles on the poor leadership provided by political leaders who lacked the ability to lead the country to the Promised Land.
He particularly reprimanded the National Assembly for contributing in no small way to the lack of visible development in the country.
Speaking on the topic, ‘The Future of Nigeria's Economy', Mr. Sanusi said as long as a quarter of the nation's annual budget goes to the National Assembly as allowances and salaries, it will be difficult for the nation to achieve any meaningful development with the remaining 75 per cent, in view of the numerous challenges facing the nation.
He noted that the major factors accounting for the relative decline of the country's economic fortunes are political instability, lack of focused and visionary leadership, economic mismanagement, and corruption. He said the prolonged period of military rule stifled economic and social progress, particularly in the three decades, from the 1970s to 1990s.
His blunt criticism prompted the National Assembly to invite him to defend himself. In his defence, Mr. Sanusi insisted that he got his figures from the director of budget's office and that he was willing to apologise if they were wrong, but since he had done nothing wrong he had nothing to apologise for.
He urged the senators to examine the context under which he made his statement, which was actually in a lecture about factors that fuel inflationary trends.
Despite brutal questioning by a Senate select committee, led by Iyiola Omisore, the Central Bank governor, who later appeared before the House of Representatives on the same issue, stood his grounds that the National Assembly's budget for overhead is 25.4% of the nation's total.
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