Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has rechoed the demand
for true fiscal federalism where states will have powers to manage resources in
their domains, and in return, pay royalties to the Federal Government.
Speaking while receiving in audience a delegation led by the
federal Commissioner, representing Abia State at the Revenue Mobilisation
Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Chris Akomas at Government Lodge,
Aba, Governor Ikpeazu stressed that the Eastern Region of Nigeria used to be
the fastest growing economy in the world during the times of Dr. Michael Okpara
when there was true federalism with different regions controlling their
resources.
This was disclosed in a release by Onyebuchi Ememanka, the Chief Press Secretary to the Abia Governor, and made available to journalists in Umuahia, the state capital.
He emphasized that everyone and every region was not equally
endowed by nature, noting that regions must be allowed to enjoy the advantages
of those endowments hence they also live with the disadvantages of such
endowments, especially environmental degradation.
Ikpeazu stressed that funds reserved for Federal roads by
the Federal Government should be sent to the States to fix the federal roads
that cut across those States.
He said that States should be allowed and empowered to do
the Federal government roads in their domains.
He disclosed that his administration was intervening on many
federal roads and decried the paucity of funds that made it impossible for
states like Abia to fix federal roads for its citizens.
The Abia Chief Executive stated that even if hundred percent of the state’s allocation is deployed in the Abia axis of Enugu-Portharcourt express way, it would not be enough to fix it.
He noted that the clarion call for states to make
contributions to the ongoing review of the revenue sharing formula by the
Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) was desirable,
opining that the move for the review by the RMAFC was laudable and assured that
Abia State would cooperate with the RMAFC and make its position known very
soon.
Governor Ikpeazu also disclosed the setting up of a
committee to that effect which would be headed by the Commissioner for Finance,
Dr. Aham Uko.
He thanked the federal Commissioner, representing Abia in
RMAFC, Dr. Chris Akomas for the good job he is doing at RMAFC, saying that the
State is proud of him, describing Akomas as one of the brightest and most
intelligent public officers Abia State has produced.
Earlier in his speech, the federal Commissioner who also
doubled as the Chairman of the Committee on Disbursement of the Commission, Dr
Chris Akomas, disclosed that the team was in Abia to sensitize the State
Government on the ongoing process of the review of the revenue sharing formula
of the Federal Government.
He explained that the process of reviewing the revenue
sharing formula is the constitutional responsibility of the Commission.
He stated that response to the review was urgent while the
next stage would be the zonal public hearings where states would make their
positions known.
The former Deputy Governor of Abia State, commended
governors of the southeast region for their efforts in handling security
challenges in their respective states.
Akomas particularly thanked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for all
his efforts towards achieving good governance in Abia state.
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