According to Christian Nwachukwu, the RMAFC’s Public Relations Officer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has not yet approved any such increase.

He continued by saying that neither he nor the RMAFC Chairman were responsible for the widely circulated notion that some public officeholders will receive salary increase.

Nwachukwu made the clarification in a chat with Leadership on Wednesday when he was asked about the statement credited to a Federal Commissioner in the Commission, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba who reportedly said it 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.

Tanko-Ayuba was said to have claimed the reviewed remuneration packages were effective from January 1, 2023.

However, the RMAFC spokesperson denied the claims about the reviewed packages.

“Not my chairman. Not my chairman. My chairman has never made any statement on it. And I have not made any statement on it. No statement from chairman, no statement from me. So, I don’t know. I heard one of the Commissioners said it. I don’t want to be quoted,” the RMAFC spokesperson said.

He added that everything is still under process and no approval has been given for it by President Tinubu.

“No approval yet. There is no approval yet. I don’t know the source of that story. Everything is under the process. It has to come as a Bill for Mr President to assent.

“The President has not given assent. Until the President gives assent, you cannot take it as if it has taken effect. You know that. You are a journalist.

“I don’t want to be quoted wrongly. The President has not given assent to it. It is still under the process,” Nwachukwu said further during the phone chat.

When asked if the idea was under consideration by the National Assembly, he responded, “It will be sent to National Assembly. Whichever way, whether it has been sent or not, the President has not assented to it. All those legislative process has to be completed; finally, it will land on Mr President’s table for assent. That has not been completed.”

Nwachukwu’s response, when pressed for clarification on whether or not the rumor about increases in salaries was true, was to “just take it the way you understand it so that you don’t quote me anyhow.”

When questioned further about whether the RMAFC had forwarded the executive bill to the National Assembly for consideration through the FEC, Nwachukwu only responded, “Everything is under the process.”