Block Leakages, Expand Revenue Source, Buhari Orders

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday swore in chairman of the the Revenue Mobilization, Allocations and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. Elias Mbam and 29 commissioners. Speaking during the swearing in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the president urged the commission to concentrate more on expanding the sources of revenue to the Federation Account and other non-oil sources including solid mineral. He also urged the commission 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. He assured the commission that government will continue to provide all the necessary support that will facilitate the achievement of its 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 said. The president told the commission of his target to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years. “This commitment is to further challenge the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to rise to its constitutional responsibilities and mandate. “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,” he said. 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).