Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State of Nigeria, said the advancement of Nigeria as a nation depended on “restructuring and devolution of powers,” saying the federal government must “shed weight and devolve more powers to the sub-nationals.”
While speaking to journalists in Sokoto during a recent tour of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission for consultations ahead of an impending review of the revenue allocation formula, Tambuwal, who is the vice chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum and chairman of governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), asserted that no state in the federation was happy with its allocation from the federation account.
“No state is happy with where it is, not even Lagos or Rivers. So, if Lagos and Rivers are not happy with where they are, how do you want Sokoto and others to feel? We are all looking for money and resources. Not even the federal government is happy with where it is. They (federal government) have the lion share but they are looking for resources. Go and ask them; they borrow money to pay salaries.”
Justifying his argument for restructuring, Tambuwal said, “It is not about Sokoto but what people have been talking about the need for restructuring and devolution of powers in the country. We must review and restructure away all those things from the centre. I said it at the PDP Retreat.
“It is first our pathway to stability, growth and development. The federal government must shed weight and devolve more powers to sub-nationals, where the people are in the states and local governments. That would give less attraction to the centre. Let the federal government be dealing with issues of immigration and other normal issues that a federal system should be concerned about.”
