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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Convener of Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, has defended the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Shehu, following criticisms over recent pronouncements attributed to the Commission on issues relating to Nigeria’s fiscal and economic policies.
Yakubu described the criticism of the RMAFC chairman as misplaced, arguing that the Commission is a constitutionally established institution with a direct responsibility for issues relating to revenue mobilisation, allocation and the financial relationship among the three tiers of government.
According to him, attempts to portray the Commission’s interventions on fiscal matters as an overreach of its mandate amount to a misunderstanding of the constitutional responsibilities assigned to RMAFC.
He said it was wrong for anyone to suggest that the chairman had no business speaking on issues with direct implications for revenue generation, allocation and the Federation Account.
“Since when did the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission become an agency that is expected to remain silent on matters that directly affect revenue mobilisation and the allocation of the Federation’s resources?” Yakubu asked.
He said the Commission’s interventions should rather be viewed as part of its institutional responsibility to ensure that revenues accruing to the Federation were properly monitored and equitably distributed.
He noted that RMAFC had consistently participated in national discussions concerning taxation, revenue allocation and fiscal reforms.
During the 2025 public hearing on the tax reform bills, for instance, the RMAFC chairman, publicly stated the Commission’s position on the proposed reforms and called for adjustments concerning the distribution of Value Added Tax revenue to subnational governments.
He also pointed to the Commission’s constitutional role in revenue allocation as a reason its chairman cannot reasonably be expected to remain an observer when policies or decisions have direct consequences for the Federation Account.
He further recalled that the group had previously defended RMAFC against what it described as misinformation concerning the Commission’s position on the Federal Government’s tax reform bills.
In December 2024, the group warned against what it called false information being circulated about RMAFC, stressing that the Commission had a constitutional mandate in matters concerning revenue-sharing formulas, including VAT allocation.
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The Convener said the current criticism of the RMAFC chairman appeared to follow the same pattern of attempting to misrepresent the role of the Commission.
“What is the basis for attacking the Chairman simply because he has spoken on an issue that falls within the fiscal responsibilities of the Commission?” Yakubu queried.
He maintained that RMAFC is not an ordinary government agency, whose activities can be divorced from the country’s fiscal architecture.
He said the Commission’s constitutional status gives it a distinct role in monitoring revenue accruing to the Federation Account and making recommendations on revenue allocation, adding that these responsibilities necessarily require the Commission to engage with national fiscal policies that could affect its mandate.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians and commentators to distinguish between making a pronouncement outside one’s jurisdiction and performing a constitutional responsibility that naturally requires public engagement.
According to him, the fact that an institution expresses a professional or constitutional position on a matter does not mean it has usurped the authority of another arm or agency of government. He also cautioned against personalising institutional disagreements, saying that public officials should be allowed to discharge their responsibilities without being subjected to unwarranted attacks whenever their positions do not conform to the expectations of particular individuals or interest groups.
He stressed that the Chairman of RMAFC should be judged on whether his interventions are consistent with the Commission’s mandate and the law, rather than on political interpretations of his statements.
Yakubu said the current administration needs strong institutions capable of providing independent fiscal perspectives, particularly at a time when the country is undertaking major reforms in taxation, revenue mobilisation and the management of public resources.
“The issue should not be whether the Chairman has spoken. The question should be whether what he has spoken about falls within the mandate of the Commission. If it does, then attacking him for doing his job is itself a misunderstanding of governance,” he said.
He urged critics of the RMAFC chairman to engage the substance of the Commission’s position rather than questioning its right to participate in fiscal-policy discussions.
Yakubu reaffirmed the support of Arewa Think Tank for institutions that act within the law and contribute constructively to national development, stressing that Nigeria’s fiscal challenges require informed institutional participation rather than attempts to silence constitutionally established bodies.
He said the group would continue to defend public institutions whenever it believes their constitutional responsibilities are being misunderstood or unfairly portrayed as political interference.
