Akeredolu: States Dependent on Hand-outs from FG to Survive

• Challenges FG to devolve more powers to states
• Says FG asking to remit tax collected on contracts

Gboyega Akinsanmi

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu yesterday lamented the prostrate conditions of states, observing that states “are almost entirely dependent on hand-outs from the federal government.”

Akeredolu, also Chairman of the Southwest Governors Forum, challenged the federal government “to divest itself off many burdens and allow the component units to flower.”

He canvassed these positions at the 45th convocation lecture of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State under a theme, “When is a Nation? Exploring the Socio-Political Crisis in Post Independence Nigeria.”

In the text of the lecture, Akeredolu canvassed urgent structural solutions to douse ethnic agitations in the country, lamenting that no state “is empowered to take independent decisions for the benefit of its people.”

Akeredolu said most of the items on the Exclusive Legislative List, as reinforced by Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution, must be amended and moved to the Residual and Concurrent list for equity and justice in the country.

Akeredolu said all the diverse ethnic nationalities in the nation should be allowed to thrive on their own, noting that items such as education, health care, judiciary, police, prison services and resource control should be on the Concurrent list.

He asked the federal government “to divest itself off many burdens and allow the component units to flower. States should control their resources and maintain their internal security while the federal government coordinate and not take over.

“States are almost entirely dependent on hand-outs from the federal government, saying no state is empowered to take independent decisions for the benefit of its people.

“Approvals must come from the centre on virtually everything. This constitution vests all the lands in a state in the state governor who holds same in trust for the people.

“The incessant attacks on farmers by criminal herders, who destroy the crops of these long suffering downtrodden members of the society, expose the impotence of state governors.

“Strange elements have been invading states to prospect for mineral resources without recourse to the authorities. Farmlands have been destroyed and the people are constantly exposed to ecological disasters to assuage greed.

“Unscrupulous elements grant prospecting licenses to people who move into lands with marauders. The security of these States is compromised, heavily.

“This constitution also provides for “Federal Character” for “National Cake Sharing”. There is a commission, which oversees the sharing of offices and other spoils of politics among the major ethnic groups.

“This manifest injustice is promoted as care for equity. In the same breath, the same document is silent on rotation of offices to complete the tragicomedy.

“Federal character is good for as long as it affords certain persons the opportunity to benefit from the sacrifice of merit on the altar of mediocrity,” he said.

The governor, who identified adoption of a common language acceptable to all the ethnic nationalities as a medium of communication as one of the features of a nation, insisted that power must be rotated between the North and South.

He said he would be happy to see a southerner emerge the President of the country come 2023, noting that there is nothing bad if such a southerner chooses to adopt Hausa language as the common language for the country.
“The federal government, through the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, is asking all states to “remit” Stamp Duty, tax collected on contracts awarded by state governments, to it.

“We will ask to be apprised of the justification for this latest onslaught. The federal government also wishes to take over inland waterways, whatever that means. Our fishermen will soon need licences to fish from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.”

He contended that the six geo-political zones in the country should be sustained to hasten the process of real integration among the diverse groups, adding that every geo-political zone should act as a unit of representation in all sectors.

He said the group-political zones should be free to determine their laws and the application, as well as design their own curriculum of education to meet peculiar challenges.

“It should have its own apex court which will determine all matters affecting it. The federal judiciary should take care of issues in the Exclusive Legislative List as was the case.

“This geo-political should be allowed to take charge of economic activities in its jurisdiction and pay taxes to the federal government as appropriate. It should take-over most of the roads tagged “Federal”, repair and toll same, if necessary.

He said the group-political zones should be free to determine their laws and the application, as well as design their own curriculum of education to meet peculiar challenges.
“It should have its own apex court which will determine all matters affecting it. The federal judiciary should take care of issues in the Exclusive Legislative List as was the case.