Govs demand increased oil revenue allocation to states

By Patrick Andrew

with agencies

Governors from the South south and South east geo-political zones say they would appreciate a corresponding increase in the revenue accruing to the states from the federation account to reflect the “increase in prices as well as production capacity of oil” in the country.
The governors, who met last weekend in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, therefore, urged the federal government “to ensure improved revenue allocation to the states to reflect the current realities to enable the states meet the yearnings and expectations of their people.”
Seven governors and two deputy governors, who attended the meeting, also restated their demand that the federal government should hands off federal roads in the states for the state government to construct and rehabilitate them.
In the communiqué they issued following the meeting, the governors said: “Worried about the abysmal state of road infrastructure in the zones, the forum proposed that the federal government relinquishes all ‘federal’ roads to states where such roads are located and facilitate legislation that would ease concession of the roads.
“In the interim, the forum appeals to the federal government to intervene urgently to improve on the current state of some critical infrastructural facilities located in the zone. Some of these facilities include: Port Harcourt International Airport, Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Sam Mbakwe International Airport, and several other roads located in the zone.
“The Forum noted the rather shoddy approach to infrastructural development by some intervention agencies of the federal government operating in the regions and appealed to the federal government to urge these agencies to liaise with the respective state governments in the identification and execution of infrastructural projects.
“The Forum believes that this approach will ensure that the projects carried out by the intervention agencies are in sync with the developmental agenda of the respective states and will lead to better standards of project execution.”
The meeting, which was chaired by the Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, also had in attendance, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Nyesom
Wike of Rivers state, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia.
Ivara Esu and Nkem Okeke, both deputy governors, represented the governors of Cross River and Anambra states respectively.

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