RMAFC Consults Former Leaders on New Revenue Formula

Engr. Elias Mbam, Chairman, RMAFC

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Tuesday  commenced consultation with former leaders, including former Heads of State, presidents, vice-presidents, former Senate Presidents and Speakers, House of Representatives, Chief Justices of the Federation, as well as notable elder statesmen in continuation of  its advocacy and mass mobilisation campaign on the ongoing review of the existing revenue allocation formula.

The consultative meeting began Tuesday  with a formal visit to General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) in Abuja, with the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Elias Mbam, leading a high-powered delegation including members and senior officials of the commission.

Mbam, who addressed journalists at the end of the visit, explained that the rationale behind the consultative meeting was to enable the commission borrow from the wealth of experience of former leaders and also get their input into the proposed revenue formula.
He further stressed that it had become expedient for the commission to widen the scope of its consultation with critical stakeholders cutting across a wider spectrum of the Nigerian society in order to promote national buy-in.

To this end, the RMAFC boss disclosed that the commission had thus far held consultative meeting with critical stakeholders like members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the three levels of government at the state level comprising, state governors, speakers of state Houses of Assembly and Chief Judges as well as local council chairmen and their councillors.

The chairman also told Gowon that the commission would also pay similar visits to his successors to also get their views on the exercise so as to enrich the evolving formula.

In his response, Gowon thanked members of the commission for the visit and assured them of his continued support to the commission on its quest to berth a new revenue formula for the country.

The former Head of State opined that an equitable revenue sharing formula will ensure even development of the country, promote national unity, cohesion and peaceful coe.
 - Thisday