The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has explained why it recommended an upward increase of the basic salary for public office holders by 114 percent.

Naija News reports that there have been a series of controversies following reports that the federal government had approved the increment of salaries of political office-holders, judicial and public office holders by 114 percent.

A Federal Commissioner in the RMAFC, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, was quoted to have announced the salary increase while representing the commission’s chairman, Mohammad Shehu, at the presentation of the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday.

In a subsequent statement, however, RMAFC Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, denied the viral reports stating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has yet to approve any such increase.

He added that the trending claim of a salary increase for some public office holders did not emanate from him or from the RMAFC Chairman.

Speaking, however, on Thursday while appearing live on Arise TV programme, the Federal Commissioner, RMAFC, Hassan Mohammed Usman, noted that the remuneration review had been due since 2007 but has not been done for specific reasons.

According to him, for 15 years, the salaries for the political, judicial and public office holders have not been reviewed by the government.

Usman added that the review premised on the fact that the consumer price index, from the year 2008 to 2022, has increased scientifically by 371 per cent.

Watch the interview below: