RMAFC warns new staff against corruption

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has charged its newly recruited employees to protect public revenue, shun corruption and uphold transparency in the discharge of their duties.

The commission gave the directive at the end of a five-day anti-corruption sensitisation and capacity-building workshop organised by its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit for new employees from the North-Central zone and its headquarters in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

RMAFC Chairman, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, who spoke through the Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State, Ismaila Muhammad Agaka, urged the new employees to apply the lessons learnt during the training in their daily responsibilities.

He warned that poor ethical standards could undermine public trust and weaken the management of the country’s revenue.

Shehu said the protection of public resources was critical to national development, stressing that the fight against corruption required individual discipline and collective commitment among public officers.

“The management of public resources has significant implications for national development,” he said, adding that meaningful transformation depended on a sustained commitment to combating corruption.

The chairman urged the recruits to return to their respective offices as “ambassadors of integrity”, demonstrating diligence, transparency and professionalism.

Similarly, the Federal Commissioner representing Nasarawa State, Abdulkadir Al-Makura, told the participants that integrity must guide their conduct both in the workplace and in their private lives.

He urged the officers to embrace honesty, discipline and accountability while rejecting corruption and other forms of misconduct.

Al-Makura also challenged the participants to demonstrate measurable improvements in their decisions and approach to public service following the training.

One of the participants, Anendah Benjamin Ahanga, from the commission’s Makurdi State Office, described the programme as educative, saying it reinforced the need for vigilance and sound judgement in official and personal dealings.

“Integrity begins with individual choices and the willingness to do the right thing regardless of prevailing circumstances or external pressures,” Ahanga said.

He urged public officers to avoid cutting corners and adhere strictly to established procedures.

Another participant, Adeze Miriam Oraegbuna, of the Federation Account Department, said applying the lessons would promote ethical conduct, strengthen good governance and improve public confidence in the commission.

Kabiru Alhassan Shuaibu, of the Fiscal Efficiency Department, said corruption remained an obstacle to national development.

He called on public officers to identify, document and report suspected corrupt practices to the appropriate authorities.

Shuaibu noted that RMAFC’s responsibility to monitor revenue accruing to and disbursements from the Federation Account made integrity particularly important.

He said the funds being monitored represented the contributions of ordinary Nigerians, including traders, civil servants and other workers.

RMAFC is constitutionally responsible for monitoring accruals into and disbursements from the Federation Account, among other fiscal functions.

The commission’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit is responsible for promoting ethical standards, reviewing corruption-prone procedures and supporting efforts to prevent misconduct within the organisation.