The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Muhammed Bello Shehu, has encouraged Nigerians to seek information about government agencies and their activities to gain a better understanding of how the government operates.
This call to action was made during a speech to students from Igbinedion University Okada, Benin City, who visited the Commission on an educational excursion.
Muhammed Bello Shehu, represented by Hajia Salamatu Muhammed Bala, a board member representing Adamawa state, expressed delight at the students’ initiative to learn about the organisation’s activities.
She said, “It is important to know what revenue mobilisation does on behalf of the country. The Commission carries out a lot of functions, but the most important one is to monitor accruals into the federation account.
“The RMAFC must know where these monies are coming from, how they are coming, and where these monies go when they come out of the federation account.”
Shehu assured the students that the Commission was pleased to host them and that directors were available to provide further education on the Commission’s functions.
She emphasized the importance of Nigerians having a thorough understanding of government activities, stating, “We are very pleased to share our experiences with you, and I believe if we are able to do that often, we will have a common purpose, work towards it, and Nigeria will be better for it.”
Professor Madu Magnus Emeka, the leader of the delegation, explained that the excursion aimed to help students bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in public finance.
“This visit is part of the university’s commitment to bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in the field of public finance. In view of that, it has been the contention of the students to go outside Benin, particularly to Abuja, to have interface with some agencies, for which we have been highlighting their activities, functions and mission so as to have personal interaction with those agencies,” he said.
The directors of Inland Revenue, Mrs. Udodirim Okwongu; Gas and Investment, Mr. Peter Nyabiri; PRS, Dr. Rosetta Iyere; and the Deputy Director of Fiscal Efficiency, Mr. Ambrose Akhilome, each took turns to educate the students about the Commission’s roles and responsibilities.
