by Adim Esohe
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto is advocating for an upward review of the nation’s revenue sharing formula in favour of states and local governments.
He states this as he addressed several groups including representatives of the Association of Resident Communities, Sokoto Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, Sokoto Women Association, and Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations among others, in Sokoto recently.
In his words, “The revenue allocation formula should be restructured to ensure federating units get more allocation than the centre.”
“There’s urgent need to review the allocation formula in the country because doing so will strengthen the Nigerian federation and help to shed off some of the excess powers the federal government currently has.”
According to him, the state and local government areas are closer to the grassroots and therefore should get larger shares of allocations from the federation account.
“States and local government areas deserve more allocation because they shoulder overwhelming responsibilities of the citizens of the country.
“The states and the local governments are the closest tiers of government to the people, but they are getting less than the federal government’s allocation from the federation account.
“The ugly trend should be reversed in favour of the federating units, to enable them meet the overwhelming demands of the people at grassroots level,’’ Tambuwal noted.
Tambuwal then calls for constructive criticism from citizens as he believes this will help those at the helm of affairs to do the right thing.