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.
