Revenue Agency Says 114 Percent Payrise For Presidents, Others Still A Proposal

The Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has clarified that there is still no timeline for the implementation of 114 percent payrise in basic salaries of political and public office holders and judicial officers in the country.

A Federal Commissioner of the agency, Rakiya Ayuba last Tuesday had asked state houses of assembly to begin amending the relevant laws for the implementation of the wage rise in their respective states.

But another Federal Commissioner, Hassan Usman, on a television programme on Wednesday, said the 114 percent wage rise was still a proposal.

According to him, the proposal would still be sent to  President Bola Tinubu for approval, before a bill on it would be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

Usman added that the bill would also be passed to the state houses of assembly for legislation, adding that it was after the completion of the process that the bill would be sent to president tinubu for his approval to become a law.

The RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the appropriate remuneration for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices as mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of this Constitution.

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However, as a result of the recommendation, the commission has called on the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on the amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers.

According to the Usman, “The consumer price index is for everybody; private and the public”, adding that the scenario formed part of their consideration for the increment.

While pointing out that the commission could not fold their hands and watch, “until when the sacrificial lamb is dead or killed”, Usman argued that the salary of Nigeria’s President is one of the lowest when compared and with all the other presidents, adding that the annual salary of the president falls around N7 million.

He, however, clarified that the increment was on only the basic salary of the public officials.

“We didn’t increase the allowances all what we did was increase the basic salary and then of course the allowances are there the way they are, they are only commensurately percentages of the basic salary,” he said.

He further explained that the reviews are in four volumes, involving the federal government and the Federal Capital Territory on one hand and the governors, state legislators as well as local governments on the other.