Buhari swears-in RMAFC chairman, 29 commissioners

*Tasks them on increased revenue,fairness to 3 tiers of govt

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn-in the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocations and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Elias Mbam and 29 other commissioners.

The President charged the commission to be fair and just to the three tiers and arms of government without compromising its core mandate.

Speaking during the swearing-in at the council chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President urged the commission to work hard to block all the revenue leakages in the federation account.

He told them of his target to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, urging them to key into it.

President Buhari said: “In my speech on June 12, Democracy Day, I informed Nigerians that this administration has laid the foundation for transforming our country and liberating our people from the shackles of poverty by putting policies and measures to integrate our rural economies to the national economic grid.

“One measure is to extend credit facilities currently available to be able to encourage and support domestic production of basic goods and reduce our reliance on imported goods.

“I set a target for our country to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. This commitment is to further challenge the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to rise to its constitutional responsibilities and mandate.”

The President who reminded the chairman and members of the commission that their appointment was carefully considered based on their “proven track records of hard work and integrity,” adding that “it is the expectation of government that you will rapidly and systematically set to work to address all areas of your mandate in a businesslike manner.”

He therefore, charged the chairman and commissioners of the commission to concentrate more on expanding the sources of revenue to the federation account and other non-oil sources including solid mineral.

Buhari urged the chairman and his members to use all legal ways and means to strengthen its monitoring mechanism and block leakages of revenue from the federations account, demanding that “all relevant laws and regulations on revenue collections and remittances should be fully complied with and appropriate sanctions visited on defaulters.”

He assured that his administration will continue to provide all the necessary support that will facilitate the achievement of the commission’s constitutional mandate.

The President called on the National Assembly to enact relevant enabling laws that shall guarantee the commission the legal ability to ensure that defaulters of revenue laws are appropriately sanctioned.

Earlier in his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha said that the president approved their appointments based on Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

Mustapha said that aside from the screening and confirmation by the Senate, the appointees were vetted and cleared by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Speaking after the inauguration, the RMAFC Chairman, Elias Mbam while thanking the President for finding them worthy to serve in his government, pledged to adhere to the directives of the President.

Asked if he will increase the revenue allocation to states and local government councils he said they will look into it as soon as they assume office and further asked if he would review the salaries of National Assembly members, he simply said “when we get to the bridge, we’ll know what to do.”