Hamman Tukur, ex-RMAFC chief, is dead

The former Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Hamman Tukur, who introduced monetisation policy died in Kaduna on Saturday and has been buried according to Islamic rites.

Appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, Mr Tukur led other members of the commission in recommending and implementing the monetisation policy of remuneration packages for political office holders in all tiers and arms of government. The policy drastically minimised public wastage of resources.

Though the commission also recommended a new revenue allocation formula that favored states and local governments, the federal government has nevertheless refused to submit it to the National Assembly for passage into law for implementation.

Born on January 24, 1942 in Adamawa State, Mr Tukur who attended various schools at home and abroad had a B. Sc in Physics and an M. Sc in Engineering.

He started his work career at Consolidated Tin Mines, Jos before moving to the academia as a lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic. He was head of Department of Electrical/Electronics before he became the Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic.

From the academia, the federal government appointed him the managing director of the defunct National Electric Power Authority, NEPA; director-general, Federal Ministry of Mines, Power and Steel and later director-general, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Mr Tukur was a Member, Institute of Strategic Studies, Kuru; Fellow Nigerian Society of Engineers; Fellow, Yaba College of Technology and Member, Institute of Electrical Engineers (England). He was also a recipient of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

He left marks in the various places he served but it was in the RMAFC that his impact was most felt across the nation especially in resolving disputed oil swells among states in the Niger Delta region and the commission’s close monitoring of sources of revenue to the Federation from oil and non-oil sectors resulting in significant improvement in accruals to the federation account.