President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday directed the Revenue Mobilization, Allocations and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to block sources of leakages of revenue from Federation account and explore means of expanding government revenue
The President stated this while swearing in Elias Mbam and 29 commissioners of the Commission at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
Buhari who warns against compromise in carrying out their activities, urged the chairman and commissioners to be fair and just to the three tiers of the government.
“ I will charge the Chairman and Honourable Commissioners as to Concentrate more on expanding the sources of revenue to the Federation Account and other non-oil sources including solid mineral.
He also urged them to “ use all legal ways and means to strengthen its monitoring mechanism and block leakages of revenue from the Federations Account. All relevant laws and regulations on revenue collections and remittances should be fully complied with and appropriate sanctions visited on defaulters.
The President assured the Commission that government will continue to provide all the necessary support that will facilitate the achievement of your constitutional mandate.
“I, therefore, use this medium to call 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.
He also told them of his target to lift 100m Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, urging them to key into it.
“Your appointment as Chairman and members of the Commission was carefully considered based on your proven track records of hard work and integrity. It is, therefore, the expectation of Government that you will rapidly and systematically set to work to address all areas of your mandates in a businesslike manner.
The Commission is Constitutionally empowered to among other duties, Monitor the accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account, as well as review from time to time, the revenue allocation formulae and principles in operation and advise government on the need for any changes;
The Commission also advices the Federal, State and Local Governments on fiscal efficiency and methods by which their revenue is to be increased;
The Commission which also determines remunerations appropriate for Political/Public Office Holders, make recommendations and submit findings by a report thereto to the government of the Federation or of the State, as the case may be, regarding the formula for the distribution of the Federation Accounts and the Local Government Accounts, as well as other functions as may be conferred on the Commission by Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this Act, or any other Act of the National Assembly.
In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said the president approved their appointments based on section 154(1) of the 1999 constitution.
Mustapha said aside from the screening and confirmation of the Senate, the appointees were vetted and cleared by the Department of State Service (DSS).
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
