From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governors of the 36 states under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), are demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari presents the new draft Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission in 2022, to the National Assembly, before a new administration takes over on May 29.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal told newsmen on Wednesday night that governors would meet with President Buhari to push him to do the needful before his exit.
Tambuwal said the forum also discussed the guidelines on financial regulations set by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, primary healthcare, stamp duties, among others. He, however, said the governors did not take a definite stand on the proposed removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.
RMAFC had last April presented a report on the review of the vertical allocation formula to the President Buhari for necessary action. The report proposed a revenue-sharing formula of 45.17 per cent to the Federal Government, 29.79 per cent to states and 21.04 per cent to local governments.
In the current revenue-sharing arrangement, the Federal Government takes home 52.68 per cent, while the state and LGAs take 26.72 per cent and 20.60 per cent respectively.
NFIU had set March 1, 2023 as deadline on cash withdrawals from federal, state and local government accounts. It also said any cash withdrawal by federal, state and local governments from 2015-2022 would be investigated.
But Tambuwal said: “We discussed the guidelines by the NFIU on financial regulation that is working on how to ensure that Nigeria is taken out of the grey list of the Financial Task Force. We discussed the issue of primary healthcare and the progress made so far during our induction course. Some states that have attained some milestones are going to receive awards for their performance.
We also discussed the issue of stamp duties being owed to both the federal and the state governments and warehoused by the CBN and we are working to make sure that it is released for disbursement to both the federal and the states.”
On his assessment of the NGF so far, he said the Forum has done very well, noting that “As a Forum and an institution of governance that we inherited from our leaders, the past governors; I believe that a lot of achievements have been made, particularly as we made sure that we maintain the unity, the cohesion, the non-partisanship of this platform and making sure that in all that we do, it is about Nigeria first and of course, our various states.”
In attendance was Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, accompanied by Governor-elect, Uba Sani: Governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).