Gombe is among the bottom states- Gov Yahaya declares
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya says the state is one of the state’s receiving the least allocation based on the current realities on ground.
Yahaya made this disclosure in his address on Thursday at the Banquet Hall, Government House, during the North East zonal Public Hearing on the review of the revenue allocation formula, organised by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The PUNCH reports that the two-day public hearing is expected to sign post consultations that would lead to a new revenue sharing formula for the country.
According to him, as the region’s shock absorber special considerations accorded to insurgency ravaged states of Yobe, Borno should be extended to Gombe to solve the myriad of challenges caused by happenings in neighbouring states.
He said, “Gombe State is among the bottom States in terms of Federal Allocation. The fact that we are able to achieve far more than even the richest States attest to our remarkable level of financial efficiency and prudence.
“But given the special position of Gombe State at the centre of the North-east, we serve as the regional shock-absorber, witnessing the influx of internally displaced persons from frontline insurgency States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
“This puts tremendous pressure on our basic infrastructure and services. It is therefore only fair that the special consideration being extended to these 3 States be also extended to Gombe State to enable us deal with new challenges.”
He revealed that Nigeria is able to sustain economic growth, create job opportunities and provide infrastructural facilities through revenue generation, stressing that it should be reviewed in relation to current realities.
The governor said, “I would like to state that a review of the revenue formula to a more people centric, equitable and fairer allocation formula where the Federal Government earns 40%, the States 35% and the LGA.s 25% is the consensus view of our people and is hereby proposed to the RMAFC.”
Yahaya also bemoaned the increasing dependence of the country’s earning on oil, adding that for the economy to improve both individuals and government should diversify interest.
“Regrettably, despite our massive natural and human resource endowments our country continues to depend on crude oil resources as the major source of revenue for decades despite the massive developmental challenges facing us. This leaves us with no alternative than to diversify the economy, especially with the current trends of globalization and the monumental challenges facing us as a nation. We must therefore harness our resources wisely to turn the destiny of our country around by utilizing the existing abundant potentials inherent in the economy.
“Diversification of the economy is the only panacea for the socio-economic development of our dear country. Through it, we shall be able to maximally harness and utilize the abundant natural resources bestowed on us by the Almighty Allah to rebuild the economy, and improve the living standards of our people. This effort will also elicit the confidence of the citizenry on Governments at all levels to achieve the desired national renaissance,” he added.
