Abuja – Consultation on the upward or downward review of salaries paid to public office holders have began, according to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The spokesperson for the RMAFC, Nwachukwu Christian, said salaries haven’t been increased, but the review would affect political, public and judicial office holders.
Christian explained that the review process had begun, but it didn’t necessary lead to salary increment, as the end of the consultations could also result in the reduction of wages for the office holders.
He said critical stakeholders like civil society organisations, including traditional rulers will be consulted.
“The process involves consultation. It is not what one person will do. We must consult critical stakeholders like civil society organisations.”
The spokesperson added, “We must consult even traditional rulers. It will take us across the whole federation to gather input on it.
“At the end of the whole thing, what we gather will decide if the review will be upward or downward.
“We have not carried out the exercise. We are in the process, and this process must be carried out and completed and will give us the result whether it is going to be up or down.
“Nobody can come up now to say RMAFC has reviewed upward the salaries of political and judicial officers.
“That’s false. Until the process is concluded before we can decide on the review.
“In the course of the process, people will air their views on where the country is now.
“Nigerians must make their input because it is their money that will be used to pay these officeholders. So, we have to consider their inputs.” (Punch)