Federalism is the answer, after all – Part 54 Opinion The Guardian Nigeria News Nigeria and World News – Guardian Nigeria

Like the hyenas, Nigerian stakeholders are gathering in several conclaves across the country to bargain for a giant share of the wealth of the country, a by-product of the natural endowment of the peoples of the geo-political entity.

In the din of haggling the necessity for creating wealth and saving for the rainy days are the points at issue but the sharing of the already baked cake and getting the lion share without respectability and consideration of the sections of the geopolitical entity that are the source of the national cake.

This indication came from the North-west of the country as the Engr. Elias Mbam-led Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission make the round of the country to perform its constitutional obligation of reviewing the extent controversial revenue allocation formula in the country as engrossed in the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Besides, the other day, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the apex South-South socio-cultural group, gave notice to the country that it would resist moves by a section of the country to aggrandise the resources emanating from the Niger-Delta region to itself.While demanding an upward review of the derivation allocation from its present 13 per cent to 50 per cent, it noted that other regions in the past enjoyed the reward of resources from their lands to the tune of about 50 per cent.This was expressed in the communiqu that was signed by Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, national chairman, Akwa Ibom State; Chief Thompson Okorotie, deputy national chairman, Bayelsa State; and Senator Bassey Ewa- Henshaw, PANDEF chairman, Cross Rivers State; Prof. Godini Darah, PANDEF chairman, Delta State, Dame Betty Igbeyi, PANDEF National Woman Leader, Edo State and Prof. B. B. Fakae, member, PANDEF BoT, Rivers State. According to the communiqu,when revenues from cocoa (in the West), groundnut (in the North), and Palm Produce and Coal (in the East) were the nations economic mainstay, derivation in the Revenue Allocation principle was not less than 50 per cent. And now derivation, as a revenue allocation principle, has been resolutely suppressed since crude oil became the countrys major revenue earner. As it disagreed with the sinister move by some members of the House of Representatives to expurgate the section on derivation, it reminded the Nigerians thatthe principle of derivation as encapsulated under the proviso to Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was aimed at providing recompense to the producers of any natural resources for the expropriation and sequestration of their rights to control and manage same, by the Nigerian State.

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Federalism is the answer, after all - Part 54 Opinion The Guardian Nigeria News Nigeria and World News - Guardian Nigeria