RMAFC Blames Accounting Officers for Excess Allowances to Public Officers

in Abuja The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said relevant Chief Accounting Officers should be held accountable for any other allowances enjoyed by any political, public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration Act of 2008. It also emphasised that the issue of pension for the President, Vice President, Governors and their Deputies respectively was strictly a constitutional matter which does not fall within its powers to decide.

The clarification came amidst an alleged false and misleading media reports and the attendant barrage of criticisms by some public affairs commentators and columnists concerning the pension benefits and other related matters for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria.

Speaking with THISDAY over the weekend, Head, Public Relations, RMAFC, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, said it had become important to address the misinformation and misrepresentation of facts which are capable of misleading citizens and members of the international community.

According to him, “The RMAFC has never recommended pension for them as it is not within its purview. The pension for Mr. President and the Vice President as provided in Section (84)(5) of the 1999 Constitution states that, “Any person who has held office as President or Vice-President shall be entitled to pension for life at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent President or Vice-President: Provided that such a person was not removed from office by the process of impeachment or for breach of any provisions of this constitution, while any pension grantedby virtueof subsection(5) of this section shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.” Continuing, he said Section (124) (5) also stipulates that: “Provisions may be made by a Law of a House of Assembly for the grant of a pension or gratuity to or in respect of a person who had held office as Governor or Deputy Governor and was not removed from office as a result of impeachment; and any pension granted by virtue of any provisions made in pursuance of this subsection shall be a charge upon the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.”