Allocate more funds to states – Atiku

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 

Former Vice-President, Abubakar Atiku
| credits: theeagleonline.com.ng

A  former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called for a delegation of power from the federal to the state governments.

He said the high concentration of power at the federal level was responsible for the bureaucracy in government.

He stated this on Friday in Abuja during an interview with journalists shortly after he met with top officials of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission led by its chairman, Mr. Elias Mbam.

Atiku also said that more funds and responsibilities should be given to the states and local governments.

The meeting was part of the ongoing consultations by the commission on a new revenue allocation formula.

The RMAFC, in exercise of its statutory function, is currently reviewing the revenue allocation formula, which was last reviewed in 1992 and modified in 2004.

Based on the current revenue formula, the Federal Government gets 52.68 per cent of the statutory allocation; the 36 states share 26.72 per cent; while the 774 local government areas are allocated 20.60 per cent.

Furthermore, the oil and mineral producing states are allocated 13 per cent based on the principle of derivation.

When asked if the states should be given more allocation in the light of current realities, Atiku said, “Of course, why not; provided they would take more responsibilities.

“I don’t believe in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture; I don’t believe in the Federal Ministry of education; I don’t believe in so many ministries,” he said.