GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday called for a review of the revenue allocation formula of the federation to allow states access to more money to finance projects .
The governor also urged the Federal Government to cede the ministry of agriculture to the states as he noted that the government did not have any reason having a ministry of agriculture since it did not have control over land.
He said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture was a means to divert public funds for other uses other than providing the food and other agricultural needs of Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday at the Delegates Conference of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oshiomhole said: “The revenue allocation formula gives so much money to Abuja and Abuja has far more money than it needs and that is why there is so much leakage there. For every one naira that accrues to the federation, Abuja collects 52 per cent of it, then the states, plus FCT plus the 774 local governments collect the remaining 46.4 per cent. Abuja has no business sinking boreholes; where we will spend five million to 10 million naira sinking a borehole, Abuja will sink a borehole for N35 million and it will not even be working.
“Why should Abuja preside over the ministry of agriculture when they don’t have land? They go into areas in which they do not have any competence.”
He also alleged that the Federal Government was not paying what it should pay into the Federation Account as some Federal Government’s establishments like the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spend some of their revenues without proper approval.
Oshiomhole used the opportunity to tell the workers that the state would pay the new minimum wage approved for civil servants. “I couldn’t justify why we will pay doctors, academics, judicial workers PSS or you name it and then the core civil servants, we just tell them, God dey. I didn’t think that was right and I said to the doctors that I have made up my mind that in making any approval, I must take into account the consequences for other grades of workers and my commitment is that even if the other 35 states refuse to implement the minimum wage, the Edo State government by reason of the fact the Oshiomhole is the governor has an obligation to implement it. It cannot be otherwise because without labour, there will be no Oshiomhole . So there are issues in which I have no choice, it is going to be tough but governorship is not supposed to be a play, play business but I am going to be more aggressive in collecting taxes that are due to government but the minimum wage has to be paid. We have already shifted focus away from the salary, we have shut down not less than 10 banks in the last six months for falsifying their books,” he said.
He added that his administration had also taken a tough stand against transporters who before now were remitting far less from what they should pay to the state government.
“ I want you to understand that we have to take tough decisions. Some of these transporters use to pay N200, 000, now they are paying between five and 10 million naira because we are insisting that they must because the rich are beginning to cry because that is where the real resources are.”
Oshiomhole pleged that he would never do anything against the organised labour, adding that he would resign his position as governor than compromise his support from organised labour in the country.
“With your support we will go forward... there was an occasion when I was supposed to co-sign a document against the minimum wage and I said I would not. The day I will append my signature along other people to oppose the demand of the NLC it is time for me to resign my office because there are things I forbid myself from doing. If I have difficulties I will engage but I will not conspire with others against the Nigerian workers, if I do that I have no business here. You are not going to go on strike or give ultimatum before we tie the thing, I am anxious that we get it done early enough.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayThe governor also urged the Federal Government to cede the ministry of agriculture to the states as he noted that the government did not have any reason having a ministry of agriculture since it did not have control over land.
He said that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture was a means to divert public funds for other uses other than providing the food and other agricultural needs of Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday at the Delegates Conference of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oshiomhole said: “The revenue allocation formula gives so much money to Abuja and Abuja has far more money than it needs and that is why there is so much leakage there. For every one naira that accrues to the federation, Abuja collects 52 per cent of it, then the states, plus FCT plus the 774 local governments collect the remaining 46.4 per cent. Abuja has no business sinking boreholes; where we will spend five million to 10 million naira sinking a borehole, Abuja will sink a borehole for N35 million and it will not even be working.
“Why should Abuja preside over the ministry of agriculture when they don’t have land? They go into areas in which they do not have any competence.”
He also alleged that the Federal Government was not paying what it should pay into the Federation Account as some Federal Government’s establishments like the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spend some of their revenues without proper approval.
Oshiomhole used the opportunity to tell the workers that the state would pay the new minimum wage approved for civil servants. “I couldn’t justify why we will pay doctors, academics, judicial workers PSS or you name it and then the core civil servants, we just tell them, God dey. I didn’t think that was right and I said to the doctors that I have made up my mind that in making any approval, I must take into account the consequences for other grades of workers and my commitment is that even if the other 35 states refuse to implement the minimum wage, the Edo State government by reason of the fact the Oshiomhole is the governor has an obligation to implement it. It cannot be otherwise because without labour, there will be no Oshiomhole . So there are issues in which I have no choice, it is going to be tough but governorship is not supposed to be a play, play business but I am going to be more aggressive in collecting taxes that are due to government but the minimum wage has to be paid. We have already shifted focus away from the salary, we have shut down not less than 10 banks in the last six months for falsifying their books,” he said.
He added that his administration had also taken a tough stand against transporters who before now were remitting far less from what they should pay to the state government.
“ I want you to understand that we have to take tough decisions. Some of these transporters use to pay N200, 000, now they are paying between five and 10 million naira because we are insisting that they must because the rich are beginning to cry because that is where the real resources are.”
Oshiomhole pleged that he would never do anything against the organised labour, adding that he would resign his position as governor than compromise his support from organised labour in the country.
“With your support we will go forward... there was an occasion when I was supposed to co-sign a document against the minimum wage and I said I would not. The day I will append my signature along other people to oppose the demand of the NLC it is time for me to resign my office because there are things I forbid myself from doing. If I have difficulties I will engage but I will not conspire with others against the Nigerian workers, if I do that I have no business here. You are not going to go on strike or give ultimatum before we tie the thing, I am anxious that we get it done early enough.”
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