The Public Relations Officer of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Christian Nwachukwu has said that President Bola Tinubu has not given approval for the increment of salaries of public servants.
Reacting to the news emanating from a Federal Commissioner in the Commission, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba the spokesperson said that he was not aware that the Commission has approved the increment of salaries of political office-holders, judicial and public office holders by 114 per cent.
Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba had spoken about the increment in the salaries of the President, his Vice, State governors and other public servants when she represented RMAFC Chairman, Mohammad Shehu, at the presentation of the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, in Birnin Kebbi, yesterday, June 21.
She said that implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023, a claim that has been strongly denied by the Commission’s spokesman.
Reacting, the Commission’s spokesperson said: “not my chairman. Not my chairman. My chairman has never made any statement on it. And I have not made any statement on it. No statement from chairman, no statement from me. So, I don’t know. I heard one of the Commissioners said it. I don’t want to be quoted.”
Speaking in a telephone chat with Leadership newspaper reporter, the spokesperson said: “no approval yet. There is no approval yet. I don’t know the source of that story. Everything is under the process. It has to come as a Bill for Mr. President to assent.
“The President has not given assent. Until the President gives assent, you cannot take it as if it has taken effect. You know that. You are a journalist.
“I don’t want to be quoted wrongly. The President has not given assent to it. It is still under the process.”
Asked if the National Assembly has begun work on the proposal, Nwachukwu said: “it will be sent to National Assembly. Whichever way, whether it has been sent or not, the President has not assented to it. All those legislative process has to be completed; finally, it will land on Mr. President’s table for assent. That has not been completed.”
When he was asked if that means that the story making the rounds on salary increment was not true, he said: “just take it the way you understand it so that you don’t quote me anyhow.”
Asked whether the RMAFC has sent the executive bill through FEC to the National Assembly for deliberation, Nwachukwu simply said: “everything is under the process.”
Source: The Leadership.
