ANALYSIS
While the Government of Ogun State is trying
to turn the state into the 'huge construction site' that it is now, all
the federal roads in Ogun are in tatters.
I do not speak of individuals here because the problem predates the Jonathan administration. I refer to this Unitary Republic of Nigeria disguised as Federal Republic of Nigeria. In a proper federation, the majority of roads lead to the federating states but in Nigeria, all roads lead to the centre --Abuja.
If you discover gold in your bedroom today, you have to first run to Abuja before you can touch it. A state government tries to ameliorate the hardship of its people on a federal road, the central authorities move in and say, "You can't touch this, you can't touch that!" If there is any menace I want to end in Nigeria today, it is the menace called federal road.
Prof Dora Akunyili came to Abeokuta recently for the Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and expressed shock at what she saw: "Ogun State has suddenly become a construction site; what a transformation! This is different from the state I saw a couple of years ago."
But it is only those that have equally visited Ogun East and Ogun West senatorial districts that will appreciate the meaning of a "huge construction site" that Ogun has now become.
As we toured the entire state with the traditional rulers, market women, youths, community associations, road transport unions, farmers, professional groups like the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), etc, as part of activities to mark the second year of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration, one thought kept recurring:"If only we could do something about this monstrous 52 per cent of Revenue Allocation that the Federal Government sits on every month. If you divide the 26% being currently allocated to states from the Federation Account by 36, you have just 0.7%. What manner of federalism is this?"
And here lies the graveyard of the warped argument that the states should first justify what they are doing with the current allocation before asking for more. Such an argument can only make sense in a unitary state not a federation. It is only in a unitary structure that the centre plays "the Big Brother", not in a federal state. What is important is for the right thing to be done because Nigeria is not a unitary state but a federation. Therefore, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and National Assembly should end the current delay and give the federating states their due.
I do not speak of individuals here because the problem predates the Jonathan administration. I refer to this Unitary Republic of Nigeria disguised as Federal Republic of Nigeria. In a proper federation, the majority of roads lead to the federating states but in Nigeria, all roads lead to the centre --Abuja.
If you discover gold in your bedroom today, you have to first run to Abuja before you can touch it. A state government tries to ameliorate the hardship of its people on a federal road, the central authorities move in and say, "You can't touch this, you can't touch that!" If there is any menace I want to end in Nigeria today, it is the menace called federal road.
Prof Dora Akunyili came to Abeokuta recently for the Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and expressed shock at what she saw: "Ogun State has suddenly become a construction site; what a transformation! This is different from the state I saw a couple of years ago."
But it is only those that have equally visited Ogun East and Ogun West senatorial districts that will appreciate the meaning of a "huge construction site" that Ogun has now become.
As we toured the entire state with the traditional rulers, market women, youths, community associations, road transport unions, farmers, professional groups like the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), etc, as part of activities to mark the second year of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration, one thought kept recurring:"If only we could do something about this monstrous 52 per cent of Revenue Allocation that the Federal Government sits on every month. If you divide the 26% being currently allocated to states from the Federation Account by 36, you have just 0.7%. What manner of federalism is this?"
And here lies the graveyard of the warped argument that the states should first justify what they are doing with the current allocation before asking for more. Such an argument can only make sense in a unitary state not a federation. It is only in a unitary structure that the centre plays "the Big Brother", not in a federal state. What is important is for the right thing to be done because Nigeria is not a unitary state but a federation. Therefore, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and National Assembly should end the current delay and give the federating states their due.
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