The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has criticised several states for their failure to properly implement the commission’s remuneration guidelines for political, public, and judicial officeholders.

The Chairman of the RMAFC, Dr Mohammed Shehu, raised these concerns during a workshop held in Abuja on Thursday, aimed at addressing the challenges faced by states in implementing the remuneration package.

In his keynote address, Shehu pointed out that although the federal government and the Federal Capital Territory had fully enacted the RMAFC’s remuneration recommendations, many states and local government councils had either failed to pass the required state laws or had not implemented the packages as recommended, in violation of the 1999 Constitution.

He explained that several states had merely adopted the RMAFC’s recommendations without enacting appropriate legislation, which he described as a breach of constitutional provisions.

The RMAFC chairman further highlighted that this lack of compliance had resulted in ongoing complaints and investigations into state-level corruption and mismanagement, often leading to inquiries by agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

He said, “The commission had observed lapses in the implementation of the Remuneration Reports at the State and Local Government levels as contained in the report of a Pilot Monitoring Exercise it carried out in 2019.

“For instance, whereas the Remuneration Act was enacted at the Federal Level for Political, Public and Judicial office holders at that level and the Federal Capital Territory, most States across the country adopted the commission’s recommendation as contained in its reports without the required legislative action or enactment of State Laws. This action contravened the constitutional provision with respect to remuneration of the Executive at the State and Local Government levels.

“Equally, the commission, has on a continuous basis, received complaints, requests for clarifications in implementing the recommendations contained in its Reports and/or investigations of violation of the same recommendations by ICPC or EFCC against officials of the States and Local Governments.

“Accordingly, in order to address these observations, this one-day workshop is organized.”

Shehu urged state executives and legislatures to strictly follow the constitutional provisions in implementing the RMAFC remuneration package.

The workshop aimed to educate these key stakeholders on their responsibilities, as well as to resolve any grey areas in the implementation process.

It also sought to offer solutions to the challenges that various states had encountered.

He emphasised the principles of equity, fairness, and reasonableness, stressing that the remuneration for officeholders should reflect the risks and responsibilities attached to their positions while also ensuring that the packages are affordable and within the capacity of the government’s budget.

The RMAFC chairman also stressed the importance of maintaining uniformity and consistency in how these packages are applied across the various levels of government.

Shehu also took the opportunity to address the issue of local government councillors, noting that the remuneration of local government legislative councils falls under the RMAFC’s mandate and should not require state legislative approval.

He expressed concerns over several states’ disregard for the RMAFC’s authority in this matter, especially concerning the salaries of local government councillors, which he described as a long-standing issue.

The RMAFC chairman called on stakeholders at all levels of government, particularly in the state and local governments, to respect the commission’s guidelines.

He argued that adherence to the remuneration package would contribute significantly to good governance and help reduce the cost of governance across Nigeria.

Shehu thanked participants for their involvement in the workshop and expressed hope that the knowledge gained would support the proper implementation of the RMAFC’s recommendations in the states and local governments.

He urged the state legislatures to pass the necessary legislation to ensure full compliance with the remuneration guidelines and alignment with the Constitution.

The Chairman of the Remuneration and Monetisation Committee, Kabeer Usman, welcomed stakeholders from various levels of government, acknowledging the commission’s core role in determining remuneration packages for political, public, and judicial officeholders.

He expressed optimism that the resource person would address challenges in implementing the RMAFC’s recommendations and urged participants to engage actively in the workshop to ensure successful implementation at the state and local government levels.