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Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has requested the leadership of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to expedite action on the process of formally designating Enugu as an oil-bearing state.
The governor made the request, yesterday, when he received commissioners and top management team of RMAFC led by the Chairman, Indices and Disbursement Committee, Chris Akomas, who visited him at Government House, Enugu.
The RMAFC delegation were in Enugu for an interactive session with members of the Enugu State Executive Council (EXCO), 17 local government chairmen and other stakeholders in line with the commission’s ongoing nationwide sensitisation tour of 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the review of the existing revenue allocation formula in the spirit of equity, justice and fairness.
Ugwuanyi, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, said the request for the designation of Enugu as an oil-bearing state became imperative because of the volume of crude oil being exploited from the state.
The governor drew the attention of RMAFC to the fact that Enugu was the only state in Nigeria which produces crude oil in commercial quantities without being formally accorded the status of an oil-bearing state.
“Years of oil exploration in the Enugu/Anambra/Kogi states joint border corridor have resulted in the successful exploitation of crude oil in the area which includes a large part of Enugu State’s territory. On a desirable allocation formula for the country, Enugu State government, after considering all the relevant factors and parameters, is proposing 50-50 to the three states.”
Ugwuanyi said Enugu continues to be the political capital and socio-cultural melting pot of the old Eastern Region of Nigeria “now carved into nine states” stating that the South East geo-political zone is disadvantaged in terms of infrastructure.
While welcoming the team to Enugu, the governor described the nationwide sensitisation and consultative engagement as timely and in conformity with changing realities, expressing delight that “RMAFC is laying the good foundations for considering the longstanding agitations of many Nigerians who have been asking for the use of the revenue allocation template to address and fulfil the collective aspirations of Nigerians for real and sustainable development.”
The governor commended RMAFC for its gallant and selfless decision in embarking on the exercise of full scale engagement of the representatives of various stakeholders and the people of Nigeria to enthrone a generally acceptable revenue sharing formula that would meet the yearning and expectations of the nation’s three tiers of government in the overall interest of the citizenry.
