WHY NOW HAMMAN TUKUR?

[Dan-Borno]

PRESIDENT Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Idris Kutigi are to go without salaries, until the National Assembly legislates on a pay package for the two.

Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), chairman, Haman Tukur who said this yesterday in Abuja, explained that ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo had operated an illegal salary structure for himself throughout his tenure.

Tukur who spoke at the Senate, also alleged that Chief Obasanjo similarly operated an illegal revenue sharing formula during his tenure, and funds were only distributed based on mere circular originated by a minister.

Tukur's bombshell came even as the Senate vowed to work out a new legislation that would mandate the states to make specific contributions from their monthly earnings to their respective councils in accordance with Section 162(7) of the Constitution.

The RMAFC boss, in a meeting yesterday with Senate president, David Mark insisted that it would be illegal for the duo of Yar'Adua and Kutigi to receive salaries unless the National Assembly passed a legislation backing the proposed remuneration for the heads of the executive and judiciary.

Alhaji Tukur tasked the Senate to specifically amend the 2007 Remuneration Act to enable the heads of the judiciary and executive branch of government to benefit from the proposed jumbo salary structure.

He also criticised the last Senate in the delay in the amendment of the revenue sharing formula, insisting that the last administration operated illegal revenue sharing among.

"It is sad that after eight years of democracy, we are yet to have a fair and equitable formula for the distribution of resources for over 140 million Nigerians"

"The formula we use in the distribution of resources is a mere circular by a minister," he lamented.

RMAFC has however proposed 53.69 percent for the Federal Government, 31.10 per cent for the states, and 15.21 percent for the of federally collected revenue councils.

RMAFC is also insisting on payment of oil revenue derivation directly to the oil producing communities, rather than their state governments as the case is currently.

According to him, the failure of the Senate to invoke Section 162(7) of the Constitution was responsible for the poor funding of the councils.

Responding, the Senate president said that the upper chamber of the National Assembly would urgently introduce a new law compelling states to make specific financial contributions to the local governments

By COSMAS EKPUNOBI, Abuja
Daily Champion