• Accuse FG of encouraging impunity
• Summon CBN, RMAFC, ICRC, others
THERE are indications that the Federal Government may have its powers whittled down, if submissions by the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government are anything to go by.
This follows the decision of the Committee to hinge its assignment on true federalism as the recommended form of government for the country, just as most delegates and members who spoke during its maiden meeting yesterday backed the opinion that power should devolve to the federating units.
Also, the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue chaired by Adamu Aliero Tuesday , accused the Federal and state governments of encouraging impunity among local contractors without recourse to good conscience, saying payment for contracts is selective and not favourable to promoting investment in the economy.
Aliero said that domestic debt was accumulating by the day and had led to many contractors abandoning projects
“We should focus not only on bonds and over drafts but contractors liability because it has a lot of impact on the economy. If a contractor finishes his job and his not paid you have tied his capital, his employees will be out of work. You are contributing to unemployment and the economy will be deflated.
On the possible reduction of the powers of the Federal Government, a delegate, Femi Okunronmu had noted that what sets true federalism apart from other forms of government is power-sharing, submitting that the Committee should be ready to address power -sharing during its deliberations.
“If we are going to operate a federal system, the present arrangement can not succeed because the States are too small and won’t be able to wield such powers, which makes such powers meaningless.
“Secondly, the present arrangement does not give a balanced platform for true federalism with the North having more states than the South,” he added.
Okunronmu who traced the political imbalance to the administration of Gen. Murtala Mohammed said the Gen. Yakubu Gowon ensured balance between the North and the South with 12 states while Murtala Mohammed’s regime created the imbalance in order to perpetuate the domination of the North over the South with the creation of 19 states.
The delegate argued that the imbalance in the number of states between the North and the South should be addressed.
“Restructuring must address this imbalance and I suggest that it is either we go back to 12 or the six geo-political zones because they were balanced”.
Former governor, Peter Odili advocated for the supremacy of the Federal Government with states as federating units rather than regions or local government.
According to him, the structural problems would always arise if geo-political zones were made the federating units, and added that many of the states that make up a geo-political zone had several ethnic nationalities, while some were homogenous in nature adding that there would always be agitation for recognition.
On his part, a former military governor, AVM Mohammed Mukhtar said states would be scrapped from the constitution if he had his way, as according to him, state governors are the major problems confronting the country.
He said governors have created the problem of imposing their cronies, without consideration for merit on the country, adding that even the imposition of Caretaker Committees on Local Council was part of the impunity perpetrated by the governors.
Former governor Sam Egwu canvassed states as federating units as against geo-political zones based on the peculiarity of the situation and historical antecedents of the Igbo.
“My position is based on the fact that, the Igbo are the most backward in terms of education and infrastructural development due to our previous experience before state creation,” he said.
He therefore called for equitable distribution of states in the zones with one more state added to the South East.
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed Omar noted that the current structure was not a problem but governance.
He said local councils should rather be strengthened as it is a major catalyst of employment generation in the country.
While advocating for the autonomy of the Local councils with redefined functions, Omar regretted that politicians contributed largely to the rot in the local government administration.
Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu said cost of governance is a problem that should be addressed, while also advocating for regional zones as federating units.
Pastor Tunde Bakare supported six geo-political zones as federating units that would have their own constitutions.
According to him, State creation was an unnecessary duplication of resources, while noting that the multiplier-effect of reducing cost of governance should not be overlooked by the committee.
He also said there should be clear definition of powers of the federating units in the constitution.
A member of the Committee on Public Finance from Rivers State, Chief Segent Awuse accused the Federal Government of not taking local contractors into consideration when the rebased Gross Domestic Product was being calculated.
“There are thousands of Nigerian contractors that the government has refused to pay. They are financing government projects. As long as that debt is not paid, it is a source of fund for government. So when people turn around and say the GDP has been re-based, who and who is contributing to that GDP?
“There are contractors in Nigeria owed five years not paid. What do we do to stop this recklessness on the part of civil servants and politicians.
People will not come and invest. You are owing them and you want them to invest.
This is not limited to the Federal Government, it is found in all three tiers of government. They do it with impunity. They don’t care to pay. They politicize payment and that is not the best way to run a government “ Awuse said.
Meanwhile the Committee on Public Finance and Revenue have sent invitations to the officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), among others to appear before it to contribute to the work it is doing.
Committee Chairman Aliero, said the Joint Tax Board, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Debt Management Office, Nigeria Customs Service, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission and others will also make presentations.
The committee, which will focus on domestic and external debt, tax administration, tax contribution, internally generated revenue, externally generated revenue, regulation of external borrowing by states and local governments and productivity, has Senator Azu Agboti as deputy chairman.
Committee members, after deliberating on how to improve efficiency and transparency in revenue generation agreed to go through all past reports of related committees, saying it will also design roadmaps on reducing dependence on petroleum as source of revenue.
Source: Guardian
