Governors have called for the review of the allocation formula for states to be 42 per cent of national revenue accruing to the Federation Account and 35 per cent to the Federal Government.
Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who disclosed this in Abuja, said Nigeria is also ripe for restructuring.
Fayemi spoke at a national dialogue and book presentation in Abuja.
Fayemi said the nation’s federal system has not served the best interests of Nigerians because it is devoid of devolution of power, decentralization and true federalism.
While arguing that the Nigeria has tried to run away from addressing these issues, he asked: ”For how long can we continue to run away from this issue and continue to pretend that somehow it would resolve itself someday?
The governor added that the main challenge confronting federalism in Nigeria is remodeling the union in terms of Allocation Formula and Restructuring of the Polity.
Fayemi threw his weight behind the suggestion by former Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega that “sooner than later, these matters have to be addressed squarely, but dispassionately.
He disclosed that the challenge is how to address restructuring without upsetting the apple-cart; that is, without unleashing instability occasioned by the mobilisation of ethnic, regional and religious sentiments and identities”.
He said “I sometimes ask the question as to how best we should approach the challenge of nation building that ails Nigeria.
There are those who think the problem with Nigeria is her size, some others think it is the many ethnic interests conflating one another for domination.
Others think it is all about bad leadership, while some others believe it is the constitution.
He stressed that ‘important as the power of leadership is, until and unless we recompose the Nigerian State and make it derive her original consent and legitimacy from the people, then we labour in vain.
Contrary to the pretensions of neo-liberal economists, without a modern state there cannot be an economy or society.
“Therefore, before public governance, there must be a modern state in the real sense.
He concluded that “A predatory state cannot give birth to proper public governance and a sense of justice and fairness.”
