*Photo: Governor Dapo Abiodun *
”Away from the political shenanigans, deliberate falsehood and mischievous claims from internal and external opposition members, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has been an advocate of not only financial autonomy but also increase revenue for the local governments, even before the latter day activists and revisionists.”
This was the position of the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Ogun State, Tunde Oladunjoye, in a press statement issued in Abeokuta on Tuesday and made available to the media.
Oladunjoye said: “before these emergency advocates and against the lies being peddled against Prince Dapo Abiodun, the governor has been in the forefront of the clamour for increased funding for the local government, as far back as three years ago, this, some people, for reasons best known to them, pretend to suffer from collective amnesia.”
Oladunjoye recalled that, three years ago, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun specifically canvassed for an upward review of revenue sharing formula from the federation account.
“Making the proposal, the Governor said the formula should be reworked to stand as 30 per cent to Federal; 45 per cent to states; and 25 per cent to Local governments, as against the current stand of 52.68, 26.72, and 20.60 per cent respectively.
“The governor canvassed the position in Lagos while speaking at the South West Zonal Public Hearing on Review of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
“Represented by his Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, Abiodun also noted that there should be a downward review of the allocation of the federal government to 30 per cent.
“Noting that the current formula is no longer in tune with economic realities, the Governor said the allocation “was forestalling the development of states and local governments.
“Abidoun also wanted the Exclusive List amended to allow each tier of government concentrate on areas that would better touch the lives of the people.
“The Governor who attributed the current imbalance in the revenue sharing formula to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly the Exclusive Legislative List, maintained that States had increasingly borne significant additional increase in managing issues relating to peace, security, education, infrastructural development, and social welfare programmes, among others.
“Let me quote him; the Governor said that ‘the State and Local governments are closer to the citizenry and can meet their needs more accurately, it is imperative to consider an increase in the allocation to the States and Local governments.
“He therefore sought the cooperation of the National Assembly to ensure passage of the bill on new Revenue Allocation Formula whenever it gets to them.”
“That was in 2021, three years ago, and he has not changed his position on increased revenue for the local governments, which he believes will reduce the burden on the state governments,” Oladunjoye remarked.
“You can then strap the recent outbursts of certain inconsistent elements and their sponsors as not only politically motivated but also thoughtless”.
“How on earth can any sane person be shouting that there is zero allocation to local governments in Ogun state, while the local governments in Ogun are busy inaugurating new projects. Where is the money coming from? Of course, the money coming from the federation account to the state and local governments is low, but Governor Dapo Abiodun has been agitating for increased funding for over three years, even before the emergency advocates”, the statement concluded.
