The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has approved a 114 per cent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders.
RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the remuneration appropriate for political officeholders 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.
The commission called on the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers.
According to NAN, the RMAFC Chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, represented by a federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, made the call at the presentation of reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State governor, Dr Nasir Idris, today June 21, in Birnin Kebbi.
He said that the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023, adding that the move was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal government (as amended).
He said that the last remuneration review was conducted in 2007, noting that it culminated in the “certain political, public and judicial office holders (salaries and allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008”.
“It empowers the revenue mobilisation, allocation and fiscal commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of the constitution of the federal government.
“Sixteen years after the last review, it is imperative that the remuneration packages for the categories of the office holders mentioned in relevant sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended) should be reviewed.
“Pursuant to the above, your excellency may please recall that on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, the commission held a one-day zonal public hearing on the review of the remuneration package simultaneously in all the six (6) geo-political zones of the country. The aim of the exercise was to harvest inputs/ideas from a broad spectrum of stakeholders.”
He said that the commission had objectively and subjectively reviewed the salary packages in the reports, adding that it adheres to the rules of equity and fairness, risk and responsibilities, national order of precedence among others.
“The subjective criteria reflected the various expression by stakeholders through memoranda received, opinion expressed during the zonal public hearings and responses to questionnaires administered.
“The objectives of the criteria were obtained from analysis of macro-economic variables particularly the Consumer Price Index (CPI),” he noted.
The chairman added that the commission was also guided by some principles, including equity and fairness; risk and responsibilities; national order of precedence; motivation and tenure of office.
Shehu said that having considered the impact of the review on the economy, the remuneration of the political, public and judicial office holders in the country was adjusted “upward by 114%.”
The chairman explained that with respect to the judicial office holders, the commission considered the introduction of three new allowances.
He said that the allowances include, “Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country.
“Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly.
“Restricted or Forced Lifestyle: This is to take care of the nature of the lifestyle of judicial officers while in active service.”
Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu has discountenanced the news making the rounds in social media that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed him as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
Reacting to what he called “a barrage of phone calls” in a short statement today, Odumosu, who retired as Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, said the news was strange to him.
“I have been inundated with so many calls and messages between yesterday and today on a purported “EFCC Appointment.
“I just want to use this opportunity to debunk this information and say it’s totally untrue.
“This information must have emanated from Mischief Makers and should be totally disregarded.
– Rt. AIG Hakeem Odumosu (21-06-2023).”
Presiding pastor of Salvation Ministries based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, David Ibiyeomie has said that he hates white garment churches.
According to Ibiyeomie, leaders of such churches change destinies of people taken to them for prayers through what he called “demonic psalms” and other rituals.
According to him, such practice had been the reason why some people start doing things they never used to do after going to them for prayer.
“Do you know why I ‘hate’ white garment churches? People don’t know why I hate them. If you know what they do you will never like them,” he said to his congregation on Sunday, June 18.
“They can take your own surname and put it in a bottle of gin and make incantations. As they are doing that that’s how the boy will be drinking. Ask these ‘cele’ prophets, they will take someone’s name and put inside Kai Kai (local gin) and then read all those demonic psalms and the boy will look at them and say ‘Give me a bottle of schnapp’. The boy was not drinking before.”
However, Pastor Ibiyeomie’s message was received on social media with backlash. Many queried him for condemning another church’s manner of worship instead of teaching about salvation.
Source: Qed.ng.
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Olufunmileyi Owasanoye (SAN), has painted a picture of how the annual negative report by the Transparency International (TI) on corruption status of Africa countries, especially, Nigeria has simmered down without the Commission being confrontational.
He said: “some of you must have noticed that this year, TI’s (Transparency International) release did not have much grounding or impact. This is not a Nigerian phenomenon. A lot of developing and European countries are beginning to interrogate TI reports as to why the countries that are victims of corruption always run poorer than the countries that are the recipients of the proceeds of corruption.”
Professor Owasanoye spoke yesterday, June 19, at the opening of a two-day training which ICPC organised to equip journalists from no fewer than 50 different media outlets across the country, with necessary wherewithal for the reportage of the Commission’s anti-corruption crusade.
He said that the training is a device to enable Nigeria to have the capacity to tell it’s story the way it should be, as counter narrative to the one being presented by the Transparency International to the world.
He emphasized that the training is borne out of the need to balance the narrative which the Transparency International always come up with about Nigeria, adding that the body had been in the habit of presenting gloomy picture of corruption status of the country without taking into account, the nature of the country as a developing nation.
“TI used a strategy to complicate its report. We needed a strategy to respond.
“For those of us who have a duty to report, like you (Journalists), you are always under the pressure to report the news as it is.
The ICPC boss admitted that Nigeria as a developing country, has its own challenges, regretting that when there are prospects to make progress, there are frustrations mounted that are not visible to observers.
“It is therefore time for us to begin to get involved in the narrative, at least to present our own side of the story the way it ought to be presented, so that there would be a balance in the information exchange.”
Professor Owasanoye insisted that the legal framework under which ICPC was established did not allow it to embark on media trial of suspected corrupt public officers, appealing to media men therefore, to bear with them if they fail to publicize suspect before investigation is concluded.
He explained that the Commission is not permitted by law, to go public with matters that are under investigations, until they go for prosecutions.
Lectures were delivered by some Directors in the Commission. They are Muhammed Ashiru Baba, who spoke on ICPC Initiatives: sexual harassment, moral reorientation and others; Professor Elijah Okebukola on Measuring Progress in the Fight against Corruption; Ebenezer Shogunle on Understanding the Process of Prosecution of Corrupt Cases and Terminologies and Jude Okoye on Overview of ICPC Achievements (2019 – 2023).
The training continues and ends today, June 20 at the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will embark on his first foreign trip on June 22, since he was sworn in as President on May 29 this year.
He will leave for Paris, capital of France to join world leaders in reviewing and signing a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on priority list for support and investment.
Those are the countries hit by the impact of devastating climate change, the energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement today, June 19, by Dele Alake, the President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said that President Tinubu will participate in the two-day Summit on June 22 and 23, on the opportunities to restore fiscal space to countries that face difficult short-term financial challenges, especially the most indebted; mobilize innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change.
The Summit will also foster development in low-income countries, and encourage investment in “green” infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing economies.
The statement said that
President Tinubu and the other global leaders, multilateral institutions, financial experts and economists will take a more holistic look at the recovery of economies from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, and rising cases of poverty, with a view to providing access to finance and investment that will leverage inclusive growth.
“The Summit, which will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France, will be held at Palais Brongniart.”
The statement said that Tinubu will be accompanied by members of the Presidential Policy Advisory Council and senior government officials.
He will return to Abuja on Saturday, June 24.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will embark on his first foreign trip on June 22, since he was sworn in as President on May 29 this year.
He will leave for Paris, capital of France to join world leaders in reviewing and signing a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on priority list for support and investment.
Those are the countries hit by the impact of devastating climate change, energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement today, June 19, by Dele Alake, the President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said that President Tinubu will participate in the two-day Summit on June 22 and 23, on the opportunities to restore fiscal space to countries that face difficult short-term financial challenges, especially the most indebted; mobilize innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change.
The Summit will also foster development in low-income countries, and encourage investment in “green” infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing economies.
The statement said that
President Tinubu and the other global leaders, multilateral institutions, financial experts and economists will take a more holistic look at the recovery of economies from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, and rising cases of poverty, with a view to providing access to finance and investment that will leverage inclusive growth.
“The Summit, which will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France, will be held at Palais Brongniart.”
The statement said that Tinubu will be accompanied by members of the Presidential Policy Advisory Council and senior government officials.
He will return to Abuja on Saturday, June 24.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will embark on his first foreign trip on June 22, since he was sworn in as President on May 29 this year.
He will leave for Paris, capital of France to join world leaders in reviewing and signing a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on priority list for support and investment.
Those are the countries hit by the impact of devastating climate change, energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement today, June 19, by Dele Alake, the President’s Special Adviser on Special Duties Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said that President Tinubu will participate in the two-day Summit on June 22 and 23, on the opportunities to restore fiscal space to countries that face difficult short-term financial challenges, especially the most indebted; mobilize innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change.
The Summit will also foster development in low-income countries, and encourage investment in “green” infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing economies.
The statement said that
President Tinubu and the other global leaders, multilateral institutions, financial experts and economists will take a more holistic look at the recovery of economies from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, and rising cases of poverty, with a view to providing access to finance and investment that will leverage inclusive growth.
“The Summit, which will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France, will be held at Palais Brongniart.”
The statement said that Tinubu will be accompanied by members of the Presidential Policy Advisory Council and senior government officials.
He will return to Abuja on Saturday, June 24.
President Bola Tinubu has terminated the appointments of the Chief of Defence Staff, other service chiefs, the Inspectors General of Police, Usman Baba, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Colonel Hameed Ali.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, in a statement today, June 19, said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Advisers, Comptroller-General of Customs from Service as well as their replacements with immediate effect.
“Tinubu consequently appointed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser; Major General C.G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admirral E. A Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff; AVM H.B Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, DIG Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Inspector-General of Police and Major General EPA Undiandeye as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
“President Tinubu also approved the following appointments: Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Commander, Brigade of Guards; Lt. Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf, 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja; Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State; Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim, 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger state; and, Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
“Similarly, the President has approved the appointments of other Military Officers in the Presidential Villa as follows: Maj. Isa Farouk Audu (N/14695), Commanding Officer, State House Artillery; Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183), Second-in-Command, State House Artillery; Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656), Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence; Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860) Commanding Officer, State House Armament; and, Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578), Second-in- Command, State House Armament.
“Finally, the President has approved the appointment of Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs.
“It is to be noted that the appointed Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the Comptroller General of Customs are to act in their positions, pending their confirmation in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Former African champions, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, have beaten the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone 3-2 to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON).
The match was played today, June 18, at the Samuel Doe Stadium in Monrovia.
Victor Osimhen grabbed a first half brace, but the hosts came back into the game by drawing level.
Super Eagles substitute, Kelechi Iheanacho, tapped a low cross from Zaidu Sanusi to restore Nigeria’s hope in the last minute of the tie.
Nigeria returned to the top spot of the table with 12 points ahead of close rivals Guinea Bissau with 10 points.
The Jose Peseiro’s lads will host São Tomé and Príncipe in their final group game on September 4.
Source: The Eagle online
