NASS members walked out on us when confronted over jumbo pay

— ex-RMAFC boss, Tukur

Former Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Hamman Tukur, has said that National Assembly members walked out on the commission when they were confronted over their jumbo pay.

Tukur made this known in an interview with an online news agency, PREMIUM TIMES.

He said that the commission was not able to stop lawmakers from fixing their own salaries and allowances because of pressures from labour.

“It was not just a question of not being able to stop it, but because of the pressure from Labour. We told them (Labour) in a circular some time ago that every single naira any member of the National Assembly receives outside what the commission approved was illegal, null and void”, Tukur claimed, insisting that what the lawmakers presently earn was never approved by the commission.

“I would not tell you the commission did not know who approved their (lawmakers) pay, because it was our job to know. However, we knew as much as we knew, and what we knew was what we approved.

“One time, they invited us to the National Assembly, and we said let us start by asking: who approves your budget?

“They started walking out from the meeting. And that is how the meeting ended. How can you as a National Assembly, the legislative arm of government not be answerable to anybody?

“All information about budget is always on the executive, which defends its budget before the National Assembly. But, we are in a democracy. People must know.

He also described the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission as presently constituted as weak and ineffective.

“In those days, the commission had very serious members who would not accept anything from anybody.

“They knew their job and were ready to do it the best way they could. That is not the situation today. The way the commission allows the National Assembly members to pay themselves is not right.

“In those days, the issue of ‘brown envelops’ to members did not arise. Nowadays, the members don’t even want to go away”.

He disclosed that during his tenure, the commission severally challenged former president Olusegun Obasanjo was on some of the decisions he took.

“For instance, I think it was only when Obasanjo asked for $5.3 billion to finance NIPP (National Integrated Power Programme) that the commission said he cannot take it from the Federation Account without reference to the other tiers of government.

“Obasanjo was told that if he wanted any money, he should take it from the Federal Government’s share of the money, and then go to the National Assembly for approval. Just like the recent issue of bailout by the Federal Government to states.

“The president (Buhari) has to be careful. We have to caution Mr. Buhari, like we did to Obasanjo when he wanted $5.3 billion. When the commission said he cannot take the money, one day he had to send Yayale Ahmed, who was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation then to come and tell the commission that he wanted that money. I said no, the money does not belong to me, but the Federation Account.

“What that means is that all the three tiers of government that own the Account must be aware and agree that the money be withdrawn for the purpose. Then the formula for sharing between the federal, states and local governments would apply.

“There should be no question of states staying somewhere to allocate what the local governments want. This is wrong. The money in the Federation Account belongs to the federal, states and the local governments. This is democracy. That is what applies to the National Population Commission.

“If the commission says one village is 200,000 people, before anyone can undo it and change that decision, it would pass through a lot of processes.”