Again, PDP Govs Push for Review of Revenue Sharing Formula

•Urge Buhari to reverse twitter suspension

Chuks Okocha

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday called on the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to urgently send the revised revenue allocation formula to President Muhammadu Buhari for onward transmission to the National Assembly for enactment, so that more resources are made available to the states and local governments where ordinary Nigerians reside.

The state chief executives in the main opposition party-controlled states have also called on President Buhari to reverse the suspension of Twitter, saying the action is denying Nigerian youths their legitimate means of livelihood.

The governors also examined the operations of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and expressed alarm at what it described as the opaque manner the oil corporation was being administered.

In a communique issued yesterday at the end of their meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the PDP governors called on the chairman and members of the commission (RMAFC) to resign or be relieved of their duties, if they cannot discharge the sacred constitutional duty entrusted by the Nigerian people to them.

“The present constitutional amendment process should make the commission more independent and accountable to all stakeholders,” they said.

The communiqué signed by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, emphasised that under the constitution, the NNPC is duty-bound to make proceeds of sale or business of petroleum available to the Federation Account, which belongs to the three tiers of government, excluding the reasonable and verified and verifiable cost of operations.

The PDP governors also decried the recent NNPC’s decision not to make its statutory contributions to the Federation Account, thereby starving the states and local governments and indeed Nigerians of funds needed for employment, development and general wellbeing.

“The Federal government through NNPC is a manager of our oil wealth merely as a trustee for all Nigerians. The meeting frowned at a situation where the NNPC decides in a totally discretionary and often whimsical manner, how much to spend, how to spend it and how much to remit to the Federation Account, contrary to the letters and even the spirit of the 1999 Constitution.”

The meeting called on other agencies of government such as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Customs and Excise and similar organisations that are statutorily required to make contributions into the Federation Account to do more.

The PDP governors said that the federating states should, going forward, now have a say in the determination of operating costs to ensure transparency and accountability.

The meeting called for urgent steps to reverse what it called the ugly trends in the practice of democracy, constitutionalism and federalism.

The PDP governors expressed deep concerns on the operational system and methods of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and viewed with regrets that the CBN is operating as an independent government within a government, which they said is a perversion of the autonomy of the bank.

They frowned at the rising and seemingly uncontrollable debt profile of Nigeria with over 80 per cent of normal appropriation spent on debt servicing, stating that all the gains of the PDP government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, where Nigeria exited its foreign debt obligations have been destroyed.

They said that borrowing for frivolous items such as funding the Nigerian Television Authority is scandalous, adding that money should only be borrowed for productive purposes as Nigeria’s current debt of over N36 trillion is not sustainable.

They said that Nigeria should not saddle incoming generations with undue debt burden as the borrowing spree of the APC administration if unchecked, will certainly lead Nigeria into avoidable bankruptcy.

The meeting expressed support for the implementation of judicial and legislative autonomy in the federation and states, in conformity with the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as altered.

The PDP governors called for more involvement of states in mining and geophysical activities within their states, stating that this is necessary not just to curtail harm to the environment but to further diversify the Nigerian economy and complement oil as a foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.

They further reviewed the emerging threats to the nation’s nascent democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law and cautioned the federal government to exercise power with restraint as the need for law and order is paramount to secure the nation, arguing that the mindless killings of innocent civilians should be avoided and are hereby condemned.

The governors reiterated its earlier revulsion at any attack on security personnel and their property anywhere in the country as a criminal and egregious act for which perpetrators should be brought to book.
The meeting examined the suspension of tweeter from operating in Nigeria, and condemned the personalised reasons given for the action.

The PDP governors said that the mere ego of President Buhari is not enough for such a drastic action that deprives millions of Nigerians of such an affordable means of expression and communication.

Accordingly, the PDP governors said: “We hope that this is not a harbinger or early warning signs of descent into dictatorship.”

They noted that social media regulation can only be done within the existing laws on the subject and should not be used as an attempt to punish or gag Nigerians from enjoying constitutionally guaranteed rights.

“Nigerian youths do not have adequate access to employment and a lot of Nigerians rely on Twitter for their livelihood, businesses and self-employment. This will further worsen Nigeria’s 33 per cent unemployment rate which is the highest in the world, improve Nigeria’s ranking as the country with second-highest poverty rate in the entire world, all of which happened under APC’s unfortunate stewardship,” they said.

They consequently requested the president to review the suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria in the national interest.

On the recurring insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria, the PDP governors reiterated the need to decentralise the operations of the security apparatus of state even within the existing legal framework, to ensure the input of local operators in states and local governments in policing and security.

The governors lamented the fact that the president seems not to be aware that the coercive instruments of state security is firmly within his hands and not the governors, considering his recent media interview on the subject.

They extolled the virtues and achievements of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, their host, at the meeting noting that he has brought prudence, innovation and competence in the management of state resources with major landmark projects and interventions, and thanked him for being a wonderful host.

The meeting was attended by Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Chairman; and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, vice-chairman.

Others in attendance include Senator Douye Diri, Bayelsa State; Samuel Ortom, Benue State; Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State; Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu State; Chief Nyesom Wike, Rivers State; Mr. Seyi Abiodun Makinde, Oyo State; Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Adamawa State; Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Edo State; Senator Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State; Chief Darius Ishaku, Taraba State; and the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mr. Mahdi Mohammed.