S’South insists on fiscal federalism
Tuesday, 17 April 2012 00:00 From Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh and Ayoyinka Olagoke, Uyo News - National



GOVERNORS and members of the federal and state legislatures from the South-South geo-political zones have decried the total dependence of the 36 states of the federation on oil revenue from the region.

They accused the other five geo-political zones in the country of deliberately refusing to exploit the huge deposits of mineral resources in their areas while milking the Niger Delta dry.

At the end of a meeting yesterday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on the platform of the Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta (BRACED) states, the leaders hinged Nigeria’s path to sustainable development on the practice of fiscal federalism and resource control by the component parts of the country.

In a statement they issued on the state of the nation, which was presented to journalists by the Chairman of the South-South Governor’s Forum, Liyel Imoke of Cross River State, the governors condemned the attempt by their northern colleagues to link insecurity in the country to the extant revenue sharing formula.

The South-South leaders said the North’s call for a review of the current revenue formula was “unfortunate and misplaced.”

Other governors who attended the meeting were Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Tele Ikuru, Victor Ndoma-Egba for South-South members of the Senate, Leonard Ogor representing zone’s members in the House of Representatives, Larry Odey for South-South Speakers, and Ambassador Joe Keshi, the Director-General of BRACED Commission.

The governors in the communiqué said rather than crying foul over the revenue sharing formula or 13 per cent derivation, the North and other Nigerians should join the clamour and insist on the introduction of fiscal federalism in the country.

BRACED wondered why other geo-political zones were not keen on exploiting other mineral resources in their states.

“The introduction of fiscal federalism and resource control will encourage each state of the federation to control its resources and

develop in accordance with its capability. The nation and states should focus on agriculture which will allow all states to contribute significantly to the national purse rather than the current over-dependence on oil from the South-South,” the statement read in part.

The forum, which ended in the early hours of yesterday, also resolved that the zone would form a united platform to present its demands with one voice at the forthcoming amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly.

On the security situation and the continuous violence in some parts of the country, the governors lauded the Federal Government over its commitment to ending the menace even as they urged President Goodluck Jonathan “to intensify efforts to restore law and order throughout the federation.”

BRACED also appealed to all aggrieved persons and groups to use available constitutional process to seek redress instead of resorting to destruction of innocent lives and property.

The commission condoled with Nigerians, especially families who lost their loved ones in such attacks and called for assistance to the survivors.

The meeting also revisited the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and lamented that the development had impacted negatively on the South-South.

It, however, commended the recent moves by the government to represent the bill to the National Assembly and appealed to the ministries of Petroleum Resources and Finance and the committees drafting the bill to act fast.

To the National Assembly, the governors pleaded with it to ensure a speedy passage of the bill once the Executive arm of government submits it so that the nation could fully tap its resources.

The governors further charged political leaders from the zone to meet regularly to enable them harmonise their position on issues affecting the zone.

The state chief executives harmonised the communique they issued on March 13, 2012 in Calabar, Cross River State, with the one released by the Speakers of South-South state Houses of Assembly on March 29, 2012 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on revenue allocation.

Concerning the proposed constitution amendment by the National Assembly, Imoke, who read the communique, said it was necessary to put together ideas and appreciated the commonality of the people to speak with one voice on national issues during the exercise.


http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83554:ssouth-insists-on-fiscal-federalism-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

I'm gradually beginning to get tired of these Niger delta drivel. Let's just partition this country into regions and have rest of mind. The oil in Abia and Imo should also dry up. God punish oil.