Let each state determine the salaries and allowances of its officials, Akeredolu tells FG

The Chairman of the Governors Forum of Southern Nigeria and the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has criticized the current practice of setting salaries and allowances of civil servants by the Federal Government to reflect uniformity across the country .

He said the practice is unacceptable in a state system that prides itself on being federal.

Akeredolu made this statement Wednesday at the Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 2008 Pay Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) at Adegbemile Hall, Akure.

He said the logic of cleaning up revenues that accrue to states and local governments into a general pool for the purpose of sharing, consistent with some federal government formulas, is anachronistic and retrogressive.

The Governor, who was a special guest of honor at the event, was represented by his deputy, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, insisted that power should be transferred to the federated units so that the country can claim a federal state.

Noting that it is not enough for the RMFAC to regulate the salaries of government officials, he instructed the Commission to make conscious efforts to reduce the dominant influence of the federal government and its institutions over the constituent units in order to encourage development.

“Let each state determine the salaries and allowances of its officials. Let the states control their resources and pay taxes to the center.” he said.

Akeredolu lamented that state autonomy has been greatly eroded, stressing that the Houses of Assembly have been relegated to the margins of their respective states’ affairs.

He identified revenue generation as the basis of fiscal policy and urged the federal government to help local economies flourish.

He said: “The appropriation of the sources of wealth of various states by federal government agencies is the fundamental reason for delay.

“Our recent pre-independence history, and immediately afterwards, shows the immense opportunities present in the different regions and the way in which the political leaders made use of them.

“The level of development achieved in all of these semi-autonomous political entities points to the potential for greatness if the current structure is tinkered with to reflect true federalism.

“It is well established that civil servants in the defunct South Western Region were the highest paid in the country. The visionary leaders ensured that the best were recruited to serve the people.

“Each region determined to a very large extent issues bordering on effective governance. Development was therefore feasible within a short period of time. The challenges faced by the emerging Republic led to crises in various parts of the country, especially in the Southwest and the Middle Belt.

“The army’s intrusion into the country’s political affairs had a devastating effect on the country. The promulgation of Decree No. 34 of 1966, abolishing the regions and replacing them with the so-called provinces, laid the foundation for the erosion of values ​​and the determination to excel through healthy rivalry that existed between them.

“The creation of 12 states from these artificial entities, erroneously called provinces by the military, to defeat the secessionists, ensured the continuation of policies that went against the ability of the former upward-moving socio-political entities to be creative . The oil boom of the early 1970s gradually encouraged layoffs.

“The discovery of oil, the reason for the remarkable progress of other countries, has thus become a huge curse on the land. Only those who benefit from this current dysfunction will want it to continue.

“The country continues to pretend that everything is fine, when it is on the verge of collapse. All patriots must be resolute in challenging the current structural flaws that hinder growth.

“The system that allows for a very strong central government and weak dependencies is incapable of development. It will be much more profitable for the federal government to waste less energy chasing the misnomer touted as local government autonomy.” He said.

However, the governor called for the need to tinker with the current structure to allow real wealth creation instead of focusing all the attention on how to share it.

“Most Nigerians participating in this public hearing will hastily conclude that the target is selfish and deeply insensitive to the plight of the common people.

“Just knowing that huge budget allocations are being appropriated as recurring expenditure in a country struggling with development issues is eternally disturbing.

“A negligible faction dedicated to serving the people absorbs a disproportionate amount of the commonwealth. Ordinary Nigerians are, rightly so, fierce about the need to tinker with the current structure in order to create real wealth rather than focusing all attention on how to share it.

Speaking, Commission President Muhammed Bello Shehu defended the Commission’s ongoing efforts to review the pay package for political, public and judicial office holders, saying the move was intended to close the gap in salary inequality between them across the country. country to close.

He listed those who will benefit from the pay review; the president, vice president, governors, vice governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the office bearers specified in articles 84 and 124 of this Constitution.

He notes that since the last evaluation in 2008, there have been several changes in socio-economic indicators and other variables in the country.

“These changes have led to the need for a new assessment to reflect the current reality. The commission is reviewing the existing pay package for political, public and judicial office holders in the country in light of public outcry and changing realities in the economy,” he said.

However, he assured Nigerians that the review will be fair, just and equitable in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

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